Festival of Hylia
by BlueFrenchHorn97
Summary: Zelda's spent years of her life travelling around Hyrule. Link's just an ordinary boy from Kakariko. But when the Festival of Hylia takes place in town, these two sixteen year olds and their outgoing friends will be brought together in a way they never expected... Zelink, Shidna, Daria, Modern Hyrule AU, Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo.
1. Kakariko

**I'm back with another fanfiction! This one has been in planning for such a long time now. I've really been looking forward to starting this one, and now I can finally write it! I hope you guys are going to enjoy this as much as I am!  
****A quick note: This story probably won't be updated as often as City Boy was. This is for two reasons. One, I've just entered into my final exam period. I've got a lot of studying to do, and as much as I hate it, that has to take priority. Secondly, my beta reader and I have just set up a new system. It's a longer, more in depth process. This means that chapters will probably be posted slower, but should be of better quality!****  
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**PLEASE NOTE: This story has a strong emphasis on travellers and traveller culture. You should know that I have friends who were, and some who still are, travellers. I doubt it will be an issue, but I say this for full disclosure. I care nothing for abusive reviews about 'pikeys' or 'gyppos' or anything of the sort. That's racist and any accounts found to be posting such reviews will be reported without hesitation.**

**All credit for the cover art goes to DreamlessWings of Deviant Art! Go check her out! ****Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

**Without further hesitation… onwards to the story!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter One - Temporary Home**

* * *

"And here we are…" Impa says, a small smile setting across her face as she pulls the car to a stop. "Welcome to Kakariko."

I blink a couple of times, trying to get my lazy eyes to focus on my surroundings. After sitting in the back seat of a range rover for the past six hours, I'm finding it a little difficult to acclimatise. It's been one hell of a ride, that's for sure. We must have been on the road for four days after we left the Kokiri forest. We spent nights staying at various camping sites and sleeping in the back of a truck while Impa continued to drive… but we're finally here. Kakariko, it's the home of the Festival of Hylia.

I've been looking forward to this for months. It's such a special occasion, and only takes place once every ten years. It's said to be on the anniversary of the death of Demise. Many thousands of years ago, a brave hero took sword in hand and slayed the evil Demon that threatened to take over Hyrule. And now, ages later, we celebrate his victory with the largest festival this decade will ever see.

At least, that's what Impa has told me. I don't know for certain, I've never been to the Festival of Hylia before. But according to Impa, it's immense. Sheikah and Twili from all over the land travel to the town of Kakariko and come together to celebrate. Music is played and fireworks released. We sing songs around burning bonfires and feast upon special foods. I've travelled all over Hyrule; so naturally, I've been to many festivals. But according to Impa, I'll never go anywhere as special as this ever again.

"Hurry up Zelda!" Sheik says, pulling my car door open. "You've got to give me a hand carrying this stuff. I can't take it all!"

"Yeah, sorry!" I laugh, snapping out of my dizzy day dream. "I must have drifted off for a moment there."

"Too right!" he says, stepping aside and helping me to clamber out of the car. He slams the heavy metal door shut behind me as the two of us make our way around the car. A trailer is strung off the back of the vehicle, holding all our possessions. Bags, boxes, tepee poles and large pieces of fabric are all strapped into the metal trailer. I feel a small smile spread over my lips as I remember that everything I own sits in this trailer.

"Zel, seriously!" Sheik says, poking me with one of the tepee poles. "Stop day dreaming! We have lots to do today!"

"I know, I know, I can't help it!" I reply. "Come on, you should know what I'm like by now!"

"All too well," he quips. "Now come on, let's get to work. You and Mum can start tying all the poles together; I'll get the cover ready."

I give him an understanding nod, pulling some of the poles from the trailer and grabbing a thick piece of rope. I really meant it when I said that I can't help it. It's a nasty habit of mine. Sometimes I slip off into my own little daydreams. I start wondering about the strangest things. I've found myself telling countless 'what if' stories in my head. I've pondered the implications of things that I know will never happen in a thousand years. I've dreamt of alternate universes and virtual realities. There are hundreds of fantasy novellas created from pure imagination that have just come to me in the middle of a boring daily task. It's strange… Sheik calls it a curse, but I prefer to think of it as a gift.

But whilst my mind begins to wonder, I set my experienced hands to work. For the last eight years of my life, I have been doing these same things. Constructing and deconstructing a tepee have become basic knowledge to me. My able fingers know exactly how to tie the ropes and line the poles. They understand the inner working of the tepee complex and how best to fit the fabric. Impa taught me all the ways to unfold and unravel this fabric and wood until a marvellous structure stands before you, as it does now.

A history of art, culture, and beauty seeps through the very material of the tepee. Waxed ink has been etched onto the fabric, depicting every location we've visited of this vast land. We've travelled right from the frosty heights of Snowpeak Mountain in the Eldin province, to the lush paradise in Faron Woods. We've visited many villages and towns. We've marvelled at the highest towers of the Gerudo palace, and been humbled by the natural beauty of the Zora Domain. And now we reside here, in the town of Kakariko.

I turn to look at Sheik, who's kneeling on the ground, busily pinning the corners of the fabric into place. He's seen so much more than I have… he'd been travelling for eight years before I even met him. He visited the very heights of Death Mountain and looked into the raging magma within. He's spent nights in the Sacred Grove, where the Master Sword of a legendary hero once lay. On one occasion, he even set up camp right outside the cave of ordeals in the Gerudo desert. Though the doorway is now caved in completely, forbidding entrance into the cavern complex.

That's one of the things that I really admire about Sheik. He's so well lived. He's done a lot of stuff in the seventeen years that he's been alive, and seen many things. Yet, somehow, he doesn't let this change him. He's always been so laid back and casual about everything. I don't think I've ever seen him get emotional, angry, or upset over anything. Still, that doesn't make him boring. The thing about Sheik is that he could easily boast about his travels, but he doesn't. Instead, he chooses to flaunt his skills with a ukulele or guitar and sing with his silky smooth voice. He never refuses a chance to get up and bust a move, and loves to tell corny jokes. He's a boy obsessed with music, and he likes to tell everyone all about it.

I watch him now, humming as he straightens out the fabric of the tepee. You wouldn't know all the things he's seen just by looking at him. He seems like an ordinary boy. He wears loose fitting blue jeans and a thick black jumper. His blond hair falls lazily around his face, contrasting wildly with his blood red eyes. Sure, he's distinguishable. On the upper side of his left arm, he's got a Sheikah mark tattoo. Not to mention the triforce tattooed onto the back of his left hand. But he doesn't come off as someone special. I only realised that side of him after we started travelling together.

See; the thing about Sheik and Impa is that I'm not really related to them. They're kind of like my surrogate family. They're both Sheikahs. Most of the time, I can pass by without people realising that I'm a Hylian, because we look rather similar to Sheikah. Still; every now and then someone notices. One give away is that it's extremely rare for a Sheikah to have blue eyes like mine. They're usually red, amber, gold or brown. Also, Sheikahs have skills. Each is trained in martial arts from pretty much birth, so they have defence mechanisms that I just can't seem to master. Despite this, most people either don't notice or don't seem to care about me being Hylian. The majority of travellers are either Sheikah or Twili, but I'm able to blend in pretty easily.

Impa has been my guardian since I was eight years old. That's when I first started travelling with her. She took me under her wing and I'm eternally grateful to her for that. She was there for me through the worst of my life, and I'll never forget her kindness. It wasn't just her though… Sheik stepped up too. He took care of me. He was nine years old at the time, thus older and cooler than me. He used to sing me songs while playing his ukulele. He taught me how to plait leather bracelets and where all the best secret hiding places were. He made it his mission to distract me from the horrible thoughts until I could adjust to what had happened. Thanks to them both, I eventually settled into traveller life.

And now here I am, eight years later. The upside to being a traveller is that people can relate to you. Out in the rest of the world, there's an awkward taboo about someone's personal history, but that's not the case here. People listen to your stories, even if you're a complete stranger. Then they laugh and dance and sing with you until your throat and feet ache and you've forgotten all your troubles. That's what I truly love about my traveller life.

I'm suddenly dragged back to reality as I feel a sharp pain prick in my ear. I gasp, blinking rapidly as I dive a little to the left. I snap my head to the right to see Sheik chortling to himself as he claps me on the back. A small smile spreads across my face as I watch him. Of course it was Sheik! Who else was it going to be? I should have known better than to let my mind wander whilst he's around.

"Come on Zel. Get your head out of the clouds, the tepee is finished!" he says fondly.

* * *

I carefully study my reflection in the long thin mirror. Nervous jet black pupils stare back at me, resting in a bed of indigo-blue iris. I blink a couple of times, trying to distract attention away from my worn expression. What can I say? Sleeping in the back of a car for four days really takes it out of me. Dark circles reside under my eyes, giving away just how tired I am. I really can't wait for tonight: I'll be able to sleep in a sleeping bag again! Believe me; it beats being squashed up next to Sheik in the back seat.

I turn my body away from the mirror, trying to get a better look at myself. My long golden plait swings around my back as I turn. Its ribbons are begging to run loose… darn. I'll have to get Impa to fix it for me later this evening. I reach up, carefully fingering and thumbing each one of the teal ribbons as I work them out of my hair. Occasionally, my grip catches on fly-away strands of hair, making me wince in pain. But eventually, the ribbons are all out. I fold them together and slip them into my pocket whilst my hair falls loose around my shoulders. I really can't be bothered to fix it right now.

Back when I used to live in a house, I couldn't go anywhere without at least glancing at a mirror. Yet now, it's a completely different story. Travelling and being on the road results in a comfortable slip of appearance on my part. When I'm out and about with Sheik and Impa, I lose interest in what I look like. I somehow suddenly forget the scattering of freckles that run across my nose and cheeks. I lose interest in my fly away hair and oversized ears. And I forget that I have a little bit of an overbite. Even now as I watch that smiling blonde in the mirror, she looks comfortable wearing scruffy clothes. Loose fitting jeans and a pink long sleeved fleece aren't exactly on-trend, but she doesn't care.

"Are you done yet Zelda?" Sheik calls from the other side of the privacy partition.

"Just one moment," I reply.

That's one downside to sleeping in a tepee: there's hardly any privacy. It's all one large circular tent, meaning that there are no corners and nowhere to hide. True, it means that no one gets left out, but it also means that you can't have any alone time. Constant company can get a little grating after a while. These wooden privacy partitions are the closest thing I get to my own space, so I make the most of it whilst I can use them.

"Yeah, well you might want to hurry up," he says, "there's someone here that you'll want to see!"

I pause, frowning. "Who?"

"Hey Zelda," comes a bright, cheerful, voice from the other side of the partition. A sharp gasp runs along my windpipe as the sudden realisation dawns on me. My eyes grow wide with shock and I rush to shove the partition aside. I'd recognise that voice anywhere. Like I could ever forget! As my line of sight to the rest of the tepee is cleared, I find exactly what I was hoping for. Sheik is stood, grinning like a kid in a candy store as he watches my reaction. And there, just to his left, she stands.

Long auburn hair falls in impossibly soft curls around her shoulders. Two thin plaits run along the sides of her head, keeping her hair out of her face. Her bright red eyes glimmer in the dulled light as she laughs a little at my reaction. She lifts her pale arms to shoulder height, beckoning for me to hug her because she knows how much I've missed her. Dark lips curl into smile as I run right over and we meet in a tight embrace.

"Midna!" I exclaim, allowing her scent to flood my nostrils. Oh that smell… it makes me reminisce about all the time we've spent together. Memories begin swarming in mind of days long passed. Like the three of us sitting by the shores of Lake Hylia scratching our names into the sand, or dancing on the wooden bridge to the Gerudo Valley with her. My fondest memory though, is when we watched the sun set from the outmost edge of Hyrule field.

See, Midna's family are travellers too. She's spent her whole life rattling around in the back of a beat up campervan with her parents and brother Zant. Between all the tribal festivals, location scouting and soul searching, they sometimes visit festivals like this. When that happens, our paths normally cross. I've gotten so used to seeing her at these big events, that over time she's become my best friend.

Midna's what I like to call a free spirit. She lives in the moment, without a care in the world. She's not the kind of girl who worries about her future. She doesn't stress about not having a boyfriend or what she's doing with her life. She never questions anything or anyone, and I adore that about her. I think that I really need to be more like Midna. She's so calm and relaxed; she just rolls with the punches. I wish I could do that.

"It's good to see you too Zellie," she laughs as we break apart. She rests her warm hands on my forearms, still smiling.

"How've you been?" I ask. "It's been too long since we last saw each other."

"Two months," Sheik says, his hands lazily slung in the pockets of his jeans. He's trying his best to act calm and casual, like her doesn't really care… but I know the truth. I know he's crushing on Midna, big time. I've seen the way he looks at her. It's been the same ever since Midna and I started being friends because Sheik was always there too. He acts up, shows off, and tries his best to get her attention. Not to mention all the long lingering looks he gives her whilst she's walking away… he's totally smitten.

"I know," she replies. "Oh goddess… look I'm sorry but I really have to go. I promised Zant that I'd give him another guitar lesson today. I really should make a move… but I promise we'll catch up properly later, ok?"

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit disappointed, but I guess these things can't be helped. "No problem," I reply. "I'll see you this evening then at the bonfire?"

"Sounds great!" she says, giving my arm a gentle squeeze before turning and heading towards the exit of the tepee. The light fabric of her long skirt ruffles around her ankles as she leaves. And I can't help but notice Sheik staring. His mouth hangs open a little bit, a smile just tugging at the very corners of his lips. He's not doing a very good job of hiding his feelings is he? I grin as I pinch his side, watching him squirm.

"What was that for?" he asks.

"You were practically drooling!" I laugh.

He looks down a little, clearly embarrassed. "Wasn't…" he mumbles.

I roll my eyes, turning away from him and heading towards the exit. "Say whatever you want to Sheik, it won't change the facts!"


	2. Ice Skating

**Hello ladies and gents! I'm back again with another chapter! I must apologise for making you wait for a week, but I did warn you about slow updates! I promise that if at all possible, I will update sooner!  
Anyway, I've got a few lovely reviewers to thank! That's PrincesscharmingKnight, sslamajama97, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, TheMysteriousDude, Franne, ShadowNinja1011, Amethyst 269, Neez, Link, Hanyoualchemist1, Bleachshowlover1, and ButterflyBabyBlue!  
****For those of you who asked: this story will be 20 chapters! So it's just like City Boy!  
Anyway, this chapter is told in Link's POV... so enjoy!  
Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

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**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Two - Ice Skating**

* * *

_Ka-chunk!_

The kitchen is almost instantaneously filled with the smell of toasted bread. Little heat waves radiate from the toaster as I dash over, grabbing my breakfast. The heat of the freshly cooked food stings against the palms of my hands. The result is me having to exchange the toast from hand to hand as I hurry over to the breadboard. Dad is sat at the breakfast table, reading a newspaper and spooning cereal lazily into his mouth. Goddess, how I hate Sunday mornings.

Every Sunday morning is the same. I always somehow manage to oversleep. I don't know what it is about me, but I can never manage to get up on time. I've tried using an alarm. Heck, I've tried using a variety of alarm clocks, but none of them get me out of bed. I even spent all my birthday money one year on a special device that can make a racket and hide itself somewhere in your room. But no, even that little devil never managed to wake me up.

Dad says I'm just plain lazy. My teachers reckon it's because I don't go to bed early enough. My best friend Dark says it's because I'm simply not a morning person. I don't know what it is about me; all I know is that I can't ever wake up in the morning. I swear there must be some kind of time altering paradigm when I'm in my bed. I just close my eyes for five minutes. Yet, when I open them again, two hours have already passed.

I grab the tub of butter from the fridge and collect a knife from the drawer. Delaying for a second, I steal a nervous glance at the clock. Darn it… Dark's meant to be here in ten minutes, and I haven't even brushed my teeth yet! My hands set to work spreading butter onto my toast like a maniac. I really need to figure out a way to get up earlier… I can't keep rushing around on Sunday mornings like this!

I've told Dark time and time again that we need to go to the ice rink in the afternoons instead. But I should know better, Dark never really listens. He's my best friend in the world, but he's a creature of habit. Once he's settled on a routine, he won't change it for anything. That's why every single day for the past ten and a half years: Dark has turned up on my doorstep at precisely eleven o'clock. We get the elven ten bus into the town centre, and arrive just in time to start skating at even thirty.

I scoff down my toast as fast as humanly possible and chug a glass of orange juice. I'm well aware that this is going to be so bad for my digestion, but I don't have the time to worry right now. I dump my dirty cup and knife in the sink, before racing off up the staircase and into the family bathroom. My gullet aches trying to cope with my ginormous mouthfuls as I hurriedly squeeze toothpaste onto my toothbrush. I turn to the mirror, setting to work cleaning my teeth.

As I watch my reflection in the slightly dirtied glass, I take in my messy morning appearance. My sandy fringe falls lazily just above my eyes. It's slightly tousled from where I haven't quite gotten around to brushing it this morning, let alone giving it a wash. I prefer to take my showers in the evening anyway. My large cerulean blue eyes look tired, and I can see little dark circles just beneath them. Maybe my teachers are right? Maybe I should start getting more early nights.

The dark green fabric of my jacket fits nicely around my shoulders. I think it may even make me look a little but more muscular… it also works really well with this T-shirt that Dark gave me for my birthday. It bears the mark of the Triforce of courage in gold and has short sleeves. I bow my head quickly, spitting out some of the toothpaste foam before continuing to brush. The sleeves of my jacket are rolled up to just below my elbows, exposing some of my skin. It's starting to turn pale golden colour. My mum used to call it sun kissed…

From downstairs, I can hear the sound of three distinct raps on my front door. I roll my eyes, spitting out the last of the toothpaste and dumping my brush behind the sink. It takes me a few moments to swill a gulp of water around my mouth, washing out the last of the tooth paste residue. Ok, I think I'm ready to go! I give myself a quick grin and a nod in the mirror, before heading for the door just as Dark knocks again.

"I'm coming!" I call out, my feet tapping against each step as I go. I've been looking forward to going ice skating with Dark all week. Yeah, I know, it's what we do every single Sunday, but this week it's different. It's been a horrible week. We've been set so much homework on top of all the revision for our end of year exams. It's been stressful and irritating, and now I just want to kick back and relax. I grab my wallet from the side, stuffing it into my pocket as I pass. I seriously can't wait; I just want to get out on the ice with Dark. It'll be just me and my best mate, doing our thing together.

I reach out, gripping the handle and pulling the front door open. And that's when I'm greeted with a sight I wasn't expecting. My best friend stands on the other side of the door, looking as calm and collected as he always does. Today he's wearing his favourite grey long sleeved t-shirt with little buttons all along the collar line. His hair is styled perfectly, as always. He calls it the 'casual just-got-out-of-bed-look,' even though it takes him twenty minutes to perfect. His black and blue vans are half hidden beneath his black jeans, and he gives me a crooked smile. Everything about him is normal, classic Dark, except for one thing.

His arm is wrapped around a girl. She's petite, beaming, and looks very, very friendly. She gives me the brightest grin, like she isn't just a stranger who turned up on my doorstep. She's wearing a little green playsuit with black tights underneath. Her hair falls in a short green pixie cut around her jaw line, and she giggles like an out of control toddler. I can feel my eyebrows raising at the very sight of her.

"Hi!" she exclaims. "You must be Link! I'm Saria, Dark's girlfriend!"

Oh…

* * *

The air all around me is cold, and there's a slight lingering smell that I can't quite seem to place. If I had to hazard a guess; I'd label it as cheap cleaning products, but I can't be sure. The bang of lockers closing echoes through the room. It's accompanied by the shrieks of laughter from the main ice rink as people enjoy their Sunday skate. I can hear little girls crying because it's cold, teenage boys trying to show off, and the scraping of metal on ice.

I sigh, fumbling to get my ice skates on in the poor lightning. My lips are pressed together, half in concentration, half annoyance. I can't believe Dark brought his girlfriend. They've been together what, two weeks? I've never even met this girl before and then he decides to bring her ice skating!? Ice skating is our thing! It always has been! For as long as I can remember, we've gone ice skating every single Sunday. And as I recall, we even met ice skating.

We were at this very skating rink. I don't think I could have been older than five at the time, and Dark was the same age. It my first ever time ice skating, so naturally; I slipped over quite a lot. Then, just as I was starting to get the hang of it, he came out of nowhere. He crashed directly into me and knocked me right off my feet. The two of us hit the ice and there were bruises all over my arms that ached like hell. I was on the brink of tears when he pulled me up and said he was sorry. I didn't even know the guy at the time: but he took me off the ice to his parents. They in turn, found my parents; who took care of me.

After a cup of hot chocolate to calm me down and a kiss from my mum to heal my bruises, I got back on the ice. Dark skated right over to me and suggested that we stick together for the day. I agreed, and just like that… something began. We spent the whole day together, even after our parents were long tired of the ice. They'd begged us to come off so we could all go home, but we were having too much fun. How was I meant to stop? It was my first time skating and I felt so alive. I could glide right over the ice like I was flying! How could anything compare to that? Not to even mention the fact that Dark and I were really getting along.

So our mothers had to exchange phone numbers so that they could arrange for us to go skating again sometime. And just that, a tradition began. Each and every Sunday our mothers would drive us to the ice skating rink together. As time passed, my skill advanced more and more. I started being able to pull off moves and spins. It began with simple moves such as crossovers or a waltz jump. But as I began to advance, I could tackle more complex moves like a double toe loop or hydroblading. I really got into figure skating, Dark preferred just racing around the rink, but we practiced together nevertheless.

And, as we grew up, nothing really changed. We both got more advanced in our skills, and he took to playing ice hockey with the local team, but we still stuck together. The more time that I spent with him, the more that we found we had in common. We both watched Doctor Who. We both liked studying history, and we both shared an obsession with the Legendary Hero series by Nintendo. When we were younger we always went to separate schools, but as we grew up a bit, we decided to go to the same high school in Kakariko. As we started cycling and eventually driving to school together, I quickly learned about Dark's awful time keeping skills.

That's where the fun really began. We started getting to know each other better and better in high school. He'd come round my house almost every night and we'd play video games until his parents called him home. He still lived on the other side of town to me, but that didn't matter to either of us. We spent weekends together cycling all over the town on our bikes. And in the summer holidays, we'd stay up all night playing the Legendary Hero games.

And then one morning, about two weeks ago, he strolled into our first period physics lesson and announced that he has a girlfriend. I was shocked by this, and that's when things began to change. Rather than focusing on playing video games with me, he'd spend all his time texting Saria. He started choosing to spend time with her over me. He blew me off more than once in the last two weeks to be with her! I get that she's his girlfriend, but what ever happened to mates?

"Hey, what's up?" Dark asks, frowning.

"Nothing…" I mumble. "It's just… did you have to bring your girlfriend?"

"What?" he replies, glancing over his shoulder to where Saria stands, putting her bags in one of the lockers. "What's wrong with Saria?" he asks. "I thought you'd like her!"

I roll my eyes. "I do like her! But ice skating is our thing! It always has been! And then today you turn up with some girl that you've only been with for two weeks? I hadn't even met her until this morning!"

I watch him expectantly, secretly hoping that he'll apologise. I want him to say that he was wrong, and should have run this past me first. I want him to tell me that he should have known that ice skating was our thing. Of course he, being the naive person that he is, doesn't do any of that. Instead, he lets out a half-hearted laugh, jumping up to his feet and clapping me on the back. The lazy grin that covers his face tells me that he isn't taking me seriously. Honestly, that frustrates me a little.

"I see what this is about," he says, sounding a little proud of himself. "You're upset that you haven't got a girlfriend yet."

"What? I-"

"It's fine Link!" he continues, completely ignoring me. "You're sixteen! There's plenty of time for you to meet someone yet! There's no need for you to worry about it…"

"I'm not wo-"

"I could set you up with one of Saria's friends?" he says. "If you like! I'm sure she'll be fine with it!"

We both pause, momentarily silent. I'm watching him with raised eyebrows and lips slightly parted in sheer shock. When did he suddenly become such a love bug? Stand aside Cupid, Dark's in town! I'm not really used to him being like this… I can't believe he's acting so smug about it! Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for him and Saria… but he doesn't have to be so arrogant about it! I don't want his relationship shoved in my face.

The truth of the matter is, I'm really not all that into dating at the moment. There have been girls who've taken an interest in me before. I've been asked out a couple of times, but I'm holding out for someone special. I don't want the first girl that I go out with to just be anyone; I want her to mean something to me. Nowadays, people take relationships so lightly, and I don't agree with that. Yeah, it means that people make fun of me for being frigid, but I'd rather wait for the right girl. What's the alternative? Going out with someone that I don't really like just for the sake of having a girlfriend?

"Hey Dark," I say, pushing myself up to my feet. "There's a locker over there. Go slam your head in it; I'll be over in a moment."

He laughs, playfully punching me on the arm. I respond with a light shove to his shoulder. Before I realise what's happening, we're play fighting right in the locker room. I laugh aloud, oh I've missed this. Just me and Dark messing around, just the two of us. Between school work and his new girlfriend, we barely get any time to ourselves. So I try my best to make the most of it when we do get time together…

"Come on then!" Saria says; walking up to us both and distracting us from our play fight. "Let's head out on the ice!"

* * *

"I have to say that I am very impressed Link," Saria says as we push through the exit of the ice rink. "I've never seen a guy who can pull off hydroblading like you can!"

"Thanks!" I reply. Hydroblading has got to be my strongest move on ice. I can recall going to other ice rinks and being praised for how incredibly close my face was to the ice.

We step out onto the busy streets of Kakariko town. Bodies bustle and push to try and get through their daily business. Shoppers shuffle down the street, laden with plastic and paper bags full of groceries. Business men stroll past carrying brief cases and straightening their stiff ties. Little children run down on the sidewalk and get under our feet, but it's ok. I've never really minded the suburban streets, though I've always wondered what it's like to live somewhere more peaceful.

The early spring sunshine beams down over the town. Its bright mid-afternoon rays are warm compared to the cold of the ice rink. However, there's still an icy breeze that lingers in the air and chills you through your skin. I pull my jacket down from where it was rolled up around my elbows as Dark offers Saria his hoodie. I try my best not to roll my eyes at the high-school cliché, though the temptation is too strong to resist.

"That was so much fun," Dark says, "I didn't know you were such a good ice skater Saria!"

"Thanks," she says, "though I think that Link takes the biscuit. I simply couldn't match his skills!"

"You're too kind," I laugh, turning to look at her. She looks tiny in Dark's oversized hoodie. Her blue eyes are squinting in the bright sunlight, though a smile is still imprinted on her dainty face. I smile too. "I'm glad that Dark has found himself such a nice girl."

"Yeah," Dark agrees, wrapping his arm around her. "I think she's a keeper…"

I swear I can almost see a faint blush seep across Saria's face as the three of us amble home lazily. There's no real rush on a Sunday afternoon. Most of the weekend is already over, and mum insists that homework has to be done before I can go ice skating with Dark. This means that my Sunday afternoons are contentedly peaceful. Sometimes Dark and I play video games, sometimes we watch a movie, and sometimes we just wander around town.

"Dark and I have the afternoon free," I say to Saria. "Do you want to come and play video games with us?"

"Sure!" she says, "that sounds like fun!"

"Great," I reply. "We'll go to my house. I've got a WiiU!"

The three of us laugh and chatter as we make our way home. We pass through busy streets, local parks, and housing estates. It takes us quite a while to walk home: partly because it's a fair distance, partly because we're dawdling. I tiptoe along the knee high brick walls of the detached houses. Dark gives Saria a piggy back for a while, and we all stop to try out some tasters at the town's ice cream shop. Well over an hour has passed by the time we reach the entrance to my housing estate. I'm about to open my mouth and tell Saria that I live down this road, when suddenly something catches my attention.

A large grinding, chugging sound erupts from the far distance. It's accompanied by the heavy clang of metal on metal, and the low bass of some old fashioned indie music. We all stop in our tracks, startled by this sudden outburst. As we stare around us in confusion, trying to locate the sound, it begins to get loud and louder. Before long, ecstatic laughter and the chatter of voices are added to all the commotion.

"What the-" Dark mutters.

But before he can even finish his sentence, his question is answered. A large tin can of a bus trundles around the corner and into our view. It would be difficult not to notice this particular vehicle. The sides of the bus are painted with an array of bright colours that all clash with one of another. Marks of the Sheikah, signs of the Twili, and various other symbolic images have been sprayed onto its windows and walls. The closer it comes to us, the more everything comes into focus.

People of all ages, genders, and races can be seen within. Some people are dancing; some are leaning out of the windows and chanting, some are singing from the roof of the bus. They all appear to be having the time of their lives, and are rocking out to a cheesy eighties pop song. The bass thuds through the entire neighbourhood as the bus clunks past us. Some of its passengers wave to us from the windows. One rather elderly man even raises two fingers in a sign of peace. I feel a small laugh of surprise escape me as I wave back, watching as the bus makes its way towards the horizon.

"Well…" I mumble, "that's not a sight you see every day."


	3. Monday Morning

**Hey everyone, guess what? IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!**

**Hehe! Sorry, that's completely off-topic, I'm just super excitable! Anyway, I've got some lovely reviewers to thank! Massive hugs and slices of birthday cake for PrincesscharmingKnight, TheMysteriousDude, Neez, CreCra, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, ShadowNinja1011, ButterflyBabyBlue, Franne, 8Black-star8, Amethyst 269, Bleachshowlover1, Hanyoualchemist1, Joyma, MasterShortPantsx3, and sslamajama97! You guys are the best!**

**Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Three - Monday Morning**

* * *

The loud, impatient honk of my car horn blares through the morning air. It's early spring time, meaning there's still a slight chill that lingers this early in the morning. It frozen the dashboard of my car, and forces me to turn up the heating. I've been waiting outside of Dark's house for the best part of twenty minutes. Frankly, I'm getting rather impatient. He's always been like this, never managing to be ready for school on time. I honk my car horn again, winding down the window ready to call out to him. Just at that moment, a first floor window is thrown open and Dark pokes his head out.

"Alright, alright! Keep your hair on," he says. "I'm coming."

"Hurry up about it!" I call up as he slams the window shut again.

I blow out my cheeks in exasperation, looking around his housing estate. It's almost deserted at this time of day, though I'm not really surprised. Most people have already left for school or work by now. It's just Dark that manages to be late. I sigh, glancing at my watch. The time reads eight forty. That means we've only got five minutes to drive a fifteen minute journey. Great… the last thing Mr Dragmire needs is another reason to land me in trouble.

"DARK!" I yell. "WE'RE LATE. NOW HURRY UP!"

His front door swings open and he makes his way out, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He doesn't appear to be in any hurry as he saunters down the drive, grinning like it isn't a Monday morning. His school shirt is half tucked-in, half hanging out of his black trousers. The green and black striped tie around his neck lies a little off kilter. And his green piped blazer has just been lazily thrown over the top or everything.

"Right," he says, clambering into the passenger seat, "are you ready to go?"

"I've been ready for the last twenty minutes," I say. "Now come on, you know if we're too late Mr Dragmire will get us into trouble."

"I guess you've got a point," he says as he buckles up his seat belt. "We'd better get going."

My hands curl around the gear stick as I pull the car into motion. It takes a few moments to adjust, but we're quickly zipping out of his housing estate. This really isn't what I wanted to be doing this morning. I was hoping we could just get into school with no hassle and no fuss. However, having Dark as my best friend means that doing something with minimal fuss is a pretty tall order. Don't get me wrong, he's great company… I just wish he'd organise himself a little more.

"Tomorrow morning we're leaving fifteen minutes early," I say, stealing a glance at Dark.

"What?!" he exclaims.

I sigh. "If Mr Dragmire catches us sneaking in late one more time; he'll hang us out to dry! You know what he's like."

"Oh right," Dark says, looking mildly amused. "I forgot how much of a goody two shoes you are."

"I'm not a goody two shoes!" I protest.

"You so are!" he laughs, "you're the only kid I know who actually hands their homework in on time."

I grip the steering wheel a little tighter, keeping a keen focus on the road. "Oh that's right;" I say, "make fun of Link for actually caring about his education. Carry on doing that and you'll be walking to school!"

He tilts his head forward a little, giving me a sarcastic look. "Well you're just no fun, are you?" he teases.

* * *

The school halls are almost deserted as I throw open the doors of the main entrance. A corridor is laid out before me, dozens of doors leading into a variety of classrooms. Lockers line the walls in bland grey colours, and a cleaner sets to work sweeping the glossy floor. Other than that, the room is void of anything even mildly interesting. Judging by the time, I'd guess that all the students are already in their form rooms. I sigh as we make our way into the halls, my footsteps echoing in the large, open space.

"See? I told you we'd be late!" I snap as I pick up my pace.

"Relax," Dark replies, grinding his voice. "I'm sure we'll be fine! You know what professor Shad is like. He won't care if we're late!"

I roll my eyes. "It's not professor Shad that I'm worried about!"

Dark has a point: Our form tutor, professor Shad, has to be probably the most laid back teacher I've ever met. If you're ever late to class, he simply ticks you off the list and tells you not to do it again. It doesn't matter how many times Dark and I have gotten into trouble because of Mr Dragmire; Professor Shad will always back us up. I remember one particular instance last term, where Dark wore a leather jacket to school. Dragmire hauled him halfway across the school until he found professor Shad, and then demanded Dark be punished. Shad then pretended to confiscate Dark's jacket and put him in detention until Dragmire left the room. Out of all the teachers at our school, professor Shad is definitely my favourite.

I pause, turning to look at Dark. "Well," I mutter, "what would your precious girlfriend make of you if she heard that? Bending the rules Dark? Tut tut! Would she still want to date Dark the rebel?"

He cracks a smile, playfully punching me on the arm. "Shut up! Just because Saria goes to a fancy private school does not mean she's as much of a goody goody as you are!"

"Please," I retort, "she's at Her Grace Hylia's school for girls! If that's not fancy, I don't know what is!"

He tilts his head forward a little, giving me a serious look. "Oh yeah," he mumbles, "that reminds me… I have a girlfriend and you don't!"

I'm about to open my mouth and reply. I'm planning on giving him a witty comeback, some kind of smart quip that'll button his lip for a good while. Yet, as I take in enough breath to talk, I'm suddenly distracted. A tall, heavily built figure makes his way around the corner. His coal black suit is perfectly fitted to his muscular body, and his long thick hair has been gelled back. The instant trepidation sets over me as I watch him approach us, swallowing hard.

"Faron, Shadow," he spits, a slight hint of distain on his tongue. "What are you doing out of form?"

"Sorry sir," I reply, "we arrived a little late."

The slightest grimace tugs at the corner of his lips as he studies us both. The yellow pupils of his narrowed eyes glare like warning lights that contrast with his jet black pupils. I've never liked Mr Dragmire. There's always been something about him that puts me a little on edge. I don't know what it is. Whatever it is, it's not helped by the fact that he's always looking to land me and Dark in trouble.

"Late you say?" he asks, raising his eyebrows. "If I'm not mistaken, that would be the seventh time this term. Am I right?"

"You are, sir," I mumble.

"Indeed," he says. "Now, that's enough dawdling. I'm sure that professor Shad will be most interested to hear of your latest offence. I don't want the two of you being late to become a habit. I'll escort you to your form room myself."

Before I can say a word in protest, an iron hand clamps down on my shoulder. His fingers, as thick as sausages, are digging into my collar bone as he marches Dark and I down the corridors. His grip on my shoulder is rather unnerving and off-putting. I can't say that it's particularly comfortable. I turn to look at my best friend, who squirms under Dragmire's grip. I'm guessing he's just as uncomfortable as I am.

Before long, we've reached the door of mine and Dark's form room. Dragmire loosens his grip on our shoulders momentarily to open the classroom door, before shoving us inside. I press my lips together, feeling a slight rush of heat wash over me as all gazes turn in our direction. Students begin rolling their eyes and laughing. It's no surprise that Dark and I are late; it's hardly uncommon for us. Nevertheless, Dragmire is insistent on making a show of the matter.

"Sorry to interrupt," Dragmire begins, turning to his co-worker, "but I found these two boys loitering in the school halls during registration."

I turn to look at my form tutor, professor Shad. He swivels around in his desk chair, turning to get a better look at Dragmire, Dark and I. He sits with a very relaxed posture. The ankle of his left leg is resting on the knee of his right. His red and white chequered socks are clearly displayed where his brown trousers ride up around his ankles. His elbows, hidden within their purple blazer, are resting on the arms of the chair. Only his finger tips are touching as he tilts his head a little, studying us all.

I catch a sneaky smile flash across his face as he leans forward, suddenly looking very serious.

"Shadow, Faron, would you care to explain why you failed to arrive punctually?" he asks, the studious twang in his voice highly noticeable.

"We're sorry sir," Dark says. "I guess we were a little late leaving this morning."

"That simply won't do," he says, letting out a heavy breath and climbing to his feet. He takes a few steps closer to us, hitching his glasses further up his nose as he does so. His eyes eventually meet with Dragmire, and he speaks again. "No worries, Ganon. I can handle things from here. Thank you for bringing the boys to me."

"I trust they'll be severely disciplined?" Dragmire asks.

Shad nods curtly. "Of course."

And with that, Dragmire turns on his heels and makes his way out of the classroom. The room is silent until the door clicks shut. A ripple of laughter spreads through the class as Shad chortles a little to himself. Everyone knows that the other teachers just pretend to deal with students to keep Dragmire out of their hair. He's head of behaviour and discipline at our school, meaning that he's in charge of doling out punishments. But, as long as you've got the right teacher on your side, he's not too much hassle.

"Take a seat," professor Shad says, gesturing towards out usual places. "I'd rather not put you into detention chaps, but if you keep turning up late you know Dragmire will never let it go. Just try to keep on his good side, will you?"

"Thanks sir," I laugh, setting my bags down underneath my desk.

"Anyway, what was I saying?" professor Shad asks, leaning up against his desk. "Ahh yes! Some of you may have noticed some rather strange and queer things around town of late. Perhaps you've encountered some folk in unusual dress, or noticed the odd vehicles on the roads recently. Perhaps you've even been round to Kakariko Park and seen the camp that's been set up there! Now, I wonder if any of you know what's happening in our humble little town?"

He looks over the classroom, hoping to see some form of reaction. However, the only response that he's met with is the sleepy faces of teenagers on a Monday morning.

He nods to himself, his eagerness still bubbling. "Well in that case, I'll tell you!" he says. "Kakariko is lucky enough to hold host the beautiful Festival of Hylia! It's a festival that takes place only once every ten years! It's held on the anniversary of the death of a powerful Demon King who threatened to take over our homeland. You see a young boy, whose name has been lost through time, took sword in hand and met the Demon King in combat. After a long and difficult battle, the boy finally prevailed, and protected his homeland from the Demons."

Suddenly, a loud raspberry sounds out from the back of the room. We all turn in our seats to look at the deathly pale sword spirit that sits in the back row. His perfectly shaped eyebrows are raised in a sarcastic expression. White lips are curled into a grimace, and his flawlessly manicured fingers drum on the table. I resist the urge to roll my eyebrows at the very sight of him. No one annoys me more than Ghirahim Diamonds.

He and I have just can't seem to get along. I've known him since I was five years old; we went to the same schools all our lives. Back when we were very young, he was always seen as the oddball kid. I guess in truth, he scared people a little bit. He had a strange fascination with licking people's faces, and always liked to draw all over his arms in black felt tip pen. Every break and lunch time he'd hide himself away in the corner of the playground, mixing 'potions' out of rainwater and dry leaves. I never had much of a problem with him, until one day when I accidently picked up his book bag instead of mine. He decided to pour one of his potions all over me instead of just asking for his book bag back.

Then when he pitched up on the first day of high school, I barely even recognised him. It was like over the summer holidays he'd turned into a whole new person. Gone were the felt tip tattoos and potions. He cut his hair, lost his puppy fat, and suddenly figured out how to make people like him. The boys at school couldn't seem to make much sense of him, but the girls thought he was amazing. He managed to charm and flirt his way through half of the year group. He dated and dumped girls quicker than he changed his Facebook status, and I hated him for that.

While it's true that I'm not all that interested in girls yet, I hate the way that he treats them. He's managed to lure even the smartest of girls into liking him. He finds a girl, turn on his charm, and make her feel like she's special. Then, when he decides that he's bored with his latest conquest, he breaks her heart and goes after her best friend. I still don't understand why girls fall for him in the first place, given his reputation, but there are some things I'll never understand.

Ghirahim sighs, and before waiting for Professor Shad to call upon him, he speaks. "What's this got to do with us?"

Professor Shad simply smiles, still excited about the topic. "You see young Ghirahim, our little town in lucky enough to play host to a festival so rich with culture and history! People from all over Hyrule travel vast distances to attend this festival. It's one of the most important historical festivals that's still celebrated!"

"Sounds boring to me…" Ghirahim mumbles, slumping over his desk. His long glossy white hair falls over his eyes as he leans over, expressing his disinterest.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," professor Shad replies, hitching his glasses up again. "Anyhow," he continues. "I'm not just mentioning this as a point of interest. This does have a relevant conclusion. I doubt this will be an issue with any of you, but this is a word of warning. There will be people of all types of cultures and races staying around Kakariko for the next few weeks. You may encounter types of people that you never knew existed. Yes, they may be different from what you're used to, but I'll tell you this. We, as a school, have agreed upon a zero tolerance for harassment policy. Anyone who is found to be heckling, abusing, or causing any form of trouble for the travellers staying here will be dealt with strictly. I don't usually care much for punishing my students, but I won't hesitate to under the circumstance. Understand?"

A monotone, simultaneous nod spreads throughout the classroom just as the bell rings, signalling the start of period one. The group of teenagers begin reluctantly clambering to their feet and collecting their bags. The low drone of adolescent chatter underlines the room as we make our way out into the corridors. Students are shoving, laughing, running and gossiping in the narrow halls. A plethora of people push through, almost zombie-like on this Monday morning.

"Come on then," Dark says, flipping his hair. "We've got algebra."

* * *

I hear the front door slam in the next room as I lay a plate of warm wraps on the kitchen table. A small smile spreads across my face as I run back over to the oven, grabbing the pan of fajita mix. It takes me a few moments to put down a place mat for the pan and to set it down, but eventually; I'm ready. I grin, rubbing my hands together eagerly as I listen to my father take off his jacket and shoes. He makes his way into the dining room, still dressed in his work shirt and tie.

"I made fajitas!" I announce as I pull out my chair and take a seat.

"Good for you," Dad says, his voice monotone.

I frown a little, watching as he runs his hands through what's left of his hair. He lets out a shaky breath as he wanders into the kitchen, picking up the pile of mail I left on the counter. He scans the words on the envelope, drawing attention to the large bags that are under his eyes. He looks tired; I guess it must have been a long day at work for him. He works eight till six; Monday to Saturday at a law firm, so I can't blame him for being a little tired.

"Aren't you hungry?" I ask, grabbing the tongs and laying the spicy mixture onto my wrap.

He shakes his head slowly, not even looking up from the mail. "No, I ate at work."

"Oh…" I mumble. "Ok." I try not to get too put off by the fact that he won't eat the dinner I made him. I spent ages slicing up peppers and chilli and mixing it all together for him because I know he loves spicy food. I somehow ended up getting chilli in my eye and started weeping like a child. But hey, he wasn't to know that. If anything, I guess I should have told him I was planning to make dinner.

He pours himself a glass of water, sitting down in the chair on the opposite side of the table. He pulls open the first envelope as I take a bite of my fajita. It's too bad that he won't eat them, because they're delicious, even if I do say so myself! I watch him thoughtfully as I chew my mouthful. His tired eyes are scanning the words of a letter that appears to be from an insurance company. He rolls his eyes, screwing up the piece of paper and dropping it on the table.

"Junk mail," he mutters by way of explanation.

I nod understandingly as I swallow my mouthful. I'm trying my best to come up with something to converse while he picks up another envelope.

"Hey," I say, "did you hear about the travellers?"

"No," he replies, lowering the envelope and looking at me. "What travellers?"

"Apparently there's some kind of festival in Kakariko this month," I say. "People are coming from all over Hyrule! Professor Shad thinks that it's a really big deal!"

"Damnit…" Dad mumbles, slapping his letter down onto the table top. "I should have known it was the travellers!"

"What did they do?" I ask, suddenly curious.

He sighs. "There's been trouble all around the town centre today. Some kids were caught nicking stuff from some of the shops near the town centre. They got police in and everything! Those kids looked real scruffy; I'll bet you that they were travellers! Not only that, but there were fights going on around Kakariko park, I'll be they had something to do with it too!"

"But Dad," I say, swallowing my mouthful, "you can't be sure that if was the tr-"

"Trust me," Dad says. "I know. I've dealt with travellers before. They spend their lives moving from town to town because they're too irresponsible to settle anywhere. They dodge taxes, stir up trouble wherever they stay, and upset the local people. Heck, I've dealt with many cases at work where travellers were at fault."

"Like what?" I ask. My half eaten fajita lies forgotten on my plate.

"Like child custody suits! Those traveller folk sleep around with whoever they please and they're not careful about it! I've had lots of them coming in trying to claim child benefits from a hippie father who's impossible to track down! Trust me Link, nothing good can come from the travellers staying here!"

I don't know what to say in response. My mind is buzzing with a thousand thoughts that I can't quite seem to verbalise. I reach for my glass of water and take a sip, hoping that it can dull the sour taste in my mouth. All my life, I've had a very different view of travellers than the one that Dad just spouted off. I can't seem to understand how he can possibly be so prejudice against them. If it were anyone else, I would have stood up to them. But he's my own Dad…

If I'm honest, I've always thought that the traveller life seemed really interesting to me. Travellers have the opportunity to go to places and see things that most people couldn't even dream of. They can see so much more than the average eye, and I'm frankly quite jealous of them. That's not even mentioning the rich cultural heritage that they carry. I've researched into the nomadic lifestyle extensively. There cultural beliefs and ways of life have always fascinated me…

I've often found myself sat by my bedroom window, staring out at the hum drum town and wondering what else I could be doing right now. I've lived in Kakariko all my life; it's all I've ever known. Yet, I've long dreamt of an opportunity to see something more. I've pictured living in a tepee or caravan, travelling from site to site. I've imagined endless music festivals and tribal meetings and location scouting. Campfires, festivals, and celebrations have danced through my mind a thousand times. But deep down, I know that the chances are I'll never have that lifestyle.

"Mark my words," Dad says, climbing up to his feet. "They're nothing but trouble."

"Yeah..." I mumble, having suddenly lost my appetite. "Trouble..."


	4. Fairy Lights

**Hello! I'm back again with a new chapter :3 To those of you who asked: I had an amazing birthday! I got a WiiU, and some games for it :) My boyfriend gave me the LoZ manga collection, my friend Miniver gave me a bracelet with Link's hearts (his health) on it, and my friends Lizzie and Aislinn both painted me Zelda paintings on canvas! My friends know what I love :3**

**Anyway, I have some adorable reviewers to thank! Massive huggles for PrincesscharmingKnight, ButterflyBabyBlue, Amethyst 269, 8Black-star8, Bleachshowlover1, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, MasterShortPantsx3, sslamajama97, LEva114, Hanyoualchemist1, Guest, Joyma, Neez, Franne, CreCra, zeldalover272, and burning book!**

**Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Four - Fairy Lights**

* * *

_**Midna's POV:**_

"Try on the pink one next!" I call out.

I can here Zelda grumbling and sighing on the other side of the privacy partition. "Are you sure?" she asks. "I think the pink one makes me look really young."

"Trust me!" I reply, "pink suits you. All you have to do is try it, if you don't like it, you can wear something else."

She falters for a few moments, before she eventually sighs. "Fine, I'll try it on."

I smile to myself as I lean back against one of the tepees support beams. My fingers tug at the long, rough grass out of habit. I've been sat here for a good twenty or so minutes while Zelda tries on all the costumes that she's made. According to Sheikah tradition, everyone under the age of eighteen who's attending the festival should dress up. They have to wear costumes that one of the old legendary characters wore. It's a matter of honour, I believe, something to do with keeping the old legends alive.

Zelda's previous dress, a blue pinafore, is thrown up over the privacy partition. Its arms dangle uselessly against the fabric as she hums to herself, changing into her new outfit. I promised Zelda that I'd help her pick out her costume in time for the Festival seeing as she helped me chose mine. I've made a long traditional Twili robe and two pieces that are made to look like the Twilight Princess. Sheik said he reckoned it would be the perfect character for me.

Although we Twili don't usually dress like legendary characters, I thought it would be fun. Instead, my family always set out prayer circles of candles outside our campervan. We burn incense and sit in the long grass singing old hymns and praying to Hylia in thanks for our protection. If I'm honest with you, it's really a rather boring tradition. I'm going to see if I can get away without doing it this year, though I doubt it knowing my parents.

"How's it going Zellie?" I ask.

"I'm still putting it on," she mumbles thoughtfully. "The buttons are fiddly."

Zelda's decided to dress up like one of the princesses, though we can't decide which one. We thought about the Princess from the Twilight legends, though I said it wouldn't work with her hair colour. So now, we're trying a dress from the legend of the Hero of Time. We both tried our best to convince Sheik to dress like one of the legendary heroes, though he wasn't that keen on it. He said that he wanted to dress up as a Sheikah, and the heroes were always Hylian. In the end, he settled on being the Sheikah warrior from the Time legends, the Princess' disguise.

"Tah-dah!" Zelda squeals as she makes her way around the partition. Her arms are spread out either side of her as she performs a quick spin. Her long golden hair flies out around her like a halo and she's beaming like a little kid. I have to say that the colour of the dress really suits her complexion. It's a baby pink colour, and the dress is made of silky smooth satin. Golden shoulder plates rest where her hair falls, and smooth pink gloves adorn her arms.

I smile. "It's cute, though I'm not too sure about the fitting."

"Yeah," she mumbles, "I don't think it's quite right either."

I think for a few moments. "Maybe you're betting trying on the white dress."

She frowns, spinning around to look at the white dress that hangs off the partition. "Really?" she asks, "the white one? Won't I kind of look like a bride?"

I laugh. "No! Not if we give you the right jewellery! Now go, try it on!"

"Fiiine," she sighs, grabbing the white dress and plodding back around to the other side of the privacy partition.

"Oh Zelda," I laugh. "What would you do without me?"

Just at that moment, the fabric door of the tepee is rolled up and a pool of light spills into the space. The sudden change in the light makes me blink a couple of times. A warm spring breeze blows through the small doorway, bringing the smell of grass and blossom with it. I smile… I do love a nice warm breeze. Sheik makes his way through the doorway, giving me a big grin in greeting as he rolls the doorway back down. In his hand he holds a bright red apple with a few bites taken from it.

"Hey Mid," he says, "what are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too Sheik!" I tease. "I'm helping Zellie to pick out a dress for the festival."

"Sweet," he replies, before tossing the apple into the air and catching it in his palm. I take a few moments to study his appearance. Today he's wearing a pair of straight faded jeans. There's a hole in the right knee and the hems are all scuffed around his heels, but he doesn't seem to care. He also sports a fitted t-shirt, blue in colour, that nicely hugs the muscles on his abdomen. His tanned and toned arms flex and coil as he begins tossing the apple from palm to palm. He's starting to show off, throwing it underneath his leg, catching it behind his back, and balancing it on his head. His blond hair flops around his bright eyes as he focuses all his attention on the apple.

I laugh aloud. "What are you doing?"

"Just a trick," he says, his voice half mumbled through concentration.

He bounces it off his ankles, elbows, and shoulders as easily as if it were a hacky sack. His lips are set firm in pure concentration as his muscles set to work keeping the apple up in the air. I must admit that he's putting on quite a show! His bare feet shuffle through the long grass, toes coiled as he tries to balance in motion. Occasionally, you can hear the odd grunt or sigh from him as he pulls off riskier moves.

"Hey Sheik," I say.

"Yeah…" he breathes.

"Why aren't you wearing any shoes?" I ask.

"Oh," he says, bringing the little performance to an abrupt end by catching the apple in his palm. "I like the feel of grass under my feet."

"Fair enough," I laugh as he makes his way over and sits down beside me. He holds the apple up to his lips, taking another bite.

He turns to me lazily, still chomping his mouthful as he speaks. "So how've you been?" he asks.

I shrug, "y'know, same old same old. My parents still aren't totally happy that you're here, but there's nothing that they can do!"

Sheik nods in agreement. He knows all too well what my parents are like. To put it nicely, they're traditional. They follow the laws of the old Twili tribe and expect me and my brother Zant to do the same. We have to visit the three Twili spiritual temples at least once a year. We have to wear tribal earrings, and we have to sing a hymn of faith on the first night of every month. Most Twili travellers these days disregard the old traditions as outdated or irrelevant. Unfortunately, my parents don't feel the same way.

And it extends further than just the things we must do. They try to restrict me in my own life. In the old texts, it speaks of how it was the Hylians and the Sheikahs who forced the Twili through the mirror of Twilight. They're blamed for the war between light and dark. As a result, Twili aren't meant to socialise with such people. My parents have never really approved of my friendship with Sheik and Zelda.

But I don't agree at all. Sheik and Zelda are two of my best friends in the world, and I couldn't imagine life without them. I first met them when Zelda and I were nine, and Sheik was ten. We were all visiting Lake Hylia for the annual sun celebration. It was right in the heat of summer, one of those scorching hot days where it feels like you're being baked alive. I was taking a dip in Lake Hylia to cool off, and I met this girl called Zelda. She was too afraid to go in the water, and I saw a boy trying to throw her in from one of the bridges. He scooped her right up in his arms and tossed her into the depths, before bombing after her.

Zelda was so upset that she decided she didn't want to play with the boy any more. She swam right over to me and gave me this great big smile. She introduced herself, as did I, and we swam off together. We found a shaded spot that was tucked away from the rest of the shore. It was only accessible by swimming around the rocks so we knew that no one would find us. We stayed there, hidden away, playing games, building sandcastles and splashing in the shallows.

It must have been about two hours later when someone finally found us. The boy that I saw Zelda playing with earlier was headed right towards our little hideaway in his orange swimming trunks. His blond hair was damp and plastered to his head, making him look a little like a seal. He eventually reached the sand, running over to us. He was out of breath, and wore a worried look on his young face.

"Zelda!" he exclaimed. "I'm so glad I found you! Mum's been worried sick!" He then turned to me. "So have your parents. They described you to me and I said you went off to play with Zel. They seemed really upset. You both have to come back, now!"

I was scolded something awful that night, for both running off and mingling with Sheikah. We ended up leaving the Lake before the celebrations had even begun because my parents were so fuming. I thought that was the end of my friendship with Zelda, though that wasn't the case. I met the boy again about a month later at the summer solstice in the Gerudo Valley. He recognised me instantly and introduced himself by name, which didn't help. Of course, that boy was Sheik.

He grabbed me by the hand and took me over to his tepee. I saw his mum, Impa making bracelets out of black thread and wooden beads along with little Zellie. The young blonde jumped to her feet as soon as she saw me and gave me a big hug. That's when I clicked who Sheik was. I spent the whole afternoon in the tepee threading bracelets with my new friends, much to the dismay of my parents.

I've seen them on many occasions since then, and over time, my parents got used to our friendship. To this day, they still don't approve of my socialisation with Sheikah and Hylians, but they know that they can't stop me. Zant always teases me rotten about it, but I've learnt to block him out. The way that I see it, the old laws are just bitter and resentful. I've found no reason for me to object to Sheikah and Hylians myself, so why should I let age old history get in the way of my friends?

"Well, what do you think?" Zelda's nervous voice brings me back to the present.

I snap my gaze to her, studying her appearance. She's dressed in a long, glorious white dress. The goddess crest is formed out of lace around the neckline, just below her collar bone. Long sleeves sweep down either side of her in wide, flowing satin, making her almost appear to glide through the tepee. The skirt ruffles around her bare ankles as she comes to a steady stop in front of us. She smiles nervously, awaiting a response.

"Zelda…" I breathe, "I don't think I've ever seen you look so… so…"

"What?" she asks, concern falling over her expression.

"You look beautiful Zel', really." Sheik interrupts, climbing to his feet and pulling her into a tight hug.

"Are you sure?" she asks.

"Positive," he replies.

I smile. "I think we've found the dress for the festival!"

* * *

Soft, acoustic music drifts through the tepee as Sheik sits in the middle of the space, gently playing his ukulele. Expert fingers pluck and pull and tease the strings of the small instrument as he mouths the words to himself. His body sways gently back and forth to the rhythm of the music, blond hair flopping about his bright eyes. The tune seems a little familiar, though I can't quite seem to pinpoint where I've heard it before.

"What's that you're playing?" I ask.

He looks up at me, smiling contentedly. "It's I'm Yours," he says, continuing to play with minimal effort.

"Ahh ok," I say "that's by Jason Mraz, right?"

"That's the one," Sheik replies, turning his attention back to his ukulele.

Zelda smiles, rolling her eyes as she continues to work. She's stringing fairy lights all around the top of the tepee. She starts at the edge, and then works her way towards the centre in a spiral shape. It's a tradition of Impa's, something that I've seen her do on many occasions. She prides herself on decorating her tepee to optimum fascination for big festivals. See, Impa hand makes jewellery and sells them at events like these. She worked herself up quite a reputation among travelling communities, and people have begun to expect certain standards of her. She uses nice quality woods and threads so that the bracelets will last a long time. She also hand makes each and every one of them.

Then, when festival time draws near, she sets up a special tepee. Within it, she strings fairy lights all over the ceiling to eliminate the space. She then sets up large wooden poles running through the tepee at just above head level which she hangs the bracelets from. People can then walk around the space, looking up to admire all the bracelets before finally choosing one to buy. It's quite a sight to see once it's all ready to go.

I turn to look at Sheik again, watching as he gently fingers the strings of the instrument. His eyes are closed as a small smile spreads across his lips. There's something about Sheik when he's near to a musical instrument…. It's like it sets him on fire. He can play ukulele, guitar, bongos, steel drums, and even a harp. He'll put on a show at any given opportunity, and to me, that's amazing. He has the ability to instantaneously pick up and instrument, and put on a performance. He relishes in applause, yet he's just as happy to play quietly with his friends. It's entertaining, surprising, and somehow compelling.

"Hey Midna, when you're done staring at Sheik, could you give me a hand?" Zelda asks.

I suddenly snap my attention away, blushing violently. I'm not the only one; Sheik's cheeks are turning crimson and his ukulele playing is begging to pick up pace. I try to shrug it off and put it behind me as I clamber to my feet and make my way over to Zelda. She stands on a wooden step ladder. In one hand she holds a string of golden fairy lights, in the other a ball of garden string. She's tied up the lights to the wooden beams at a few points around the tepee already.

"You take this…" Zelda murmurs, handing me the string of lights. "If you pin all the lights into place before I tie them up, it would be a big help! There are thumb tacks in the front pocket of Sheik's blue bag."

"No problem," I smile, setting to work.

Sheik's ukulele playing is brought to a quick stop as he frowns. "Is the solar panel in place outside? You know the lights won't work without it."

"I've been here for eight years Sheik," she reminds him, "I know what I'm doing."

He rolls his eyes, resuming his playing as we set to work with the fairy lights. It's tricky work. I have to go get a second step ladder from the back of Impa's truck half way through because I can't reach high enough. I've pricked myself a couple of times, and my thumbs are aching heavily as I push all the tiny pins into the wooden beams. Zelda follows quite a way behind me, tying them up with special knots. After about twenty minutes, I've tacked all the lights into place and Zelda's a third of the way done with her tying.

"You know Sheik," Zelda says, jaw clenched in concentration. "You could give us a hand rather than playing that baby guitar."

Sheik frowns. "I've told you this a million times Zel', it's a ukulele, not a baby guitar."

Zelda laughs, "I know! I just like to say it to wind you up!"

"Fine," he sighs, setting his little wooden instrument down next to one of his bags and wandering over to the ladder that I was just using. His bare feet pad against the wood of each step as he clambers higher and higher. I watch his scarlet eyes scan the string of lights that now cover the ceiling. His brow furrows in thought and he reaches up one sun kissed arm towards the lights. He's stretching as far as he possible can. Idiotically enough, he won't take the simple solution and just step up the ladder.

"Hmm… this hasn't been tacked in properly," he mumbles.

Sheik reaches farther and farther up on his tip toes, stretching to reach that loose end. His fingers eventually manage to grasp the final light, but it's already too late. He's lost his balance, causing the ladder to wobble dangerously. Moments later, it crashes down to the ground with a monumentally loud cracking noise. Sheik, yelps in surprise, grabbing the string of lights and dropping. He lands rather unceremoniously on his backside right between the legs of his ladder, but that's not the end of it. He's dragged all the fairy lights down with him. There's a collection of popping and pricking noises as the pins all jump from their secure spots and the lights clatter down to the ground. Zelda and I both cover our heads without hands, desperate to avoid falling pins. Sheik yells out as the lights fall on top of him, tangling him up in a mess of wires.

"FOR THE LOVE OF FARORE, SHEIK!" Zelda screeches, somehow still atop her ladder.

"Ok, calm down," I say. "Is anyone hurt?"

"I think I've bruised my ass…" Sheik mumbles, wriggling under the collection of lights.

"Right," Zelda says, hands on hips. "You're fine."

"Yeah, yeah," he groans, "just get me out of here!"

I carefully pick a path through the tangled mess of lights and wires that cover the ground as I make my way over to the middle of the tepee. Zelda does the same, and we both arrive to find Sheik buried beneath the lights. His limbs are all tangled in wires and between the ladder rungs. He wriggles around, trying to rid himself of his own confinement as Zelda and I try to hold back our giggles. This isn't really a sight you see every day.

"You know," I say, tapping Zelda on the arm, "I think we should leave Sheik to sort all this out. It's his mess, he should clean it up!"

She laughs, giving me a wink. "I like the way you think Middie! Come on."

We bother laugh, linking our arms and picking a path towards the exit of the tepee. Sheik grumbles annoyed, incoherent phrases that we chose to ignore as we saunter over towards doorway. We make our way out into the warm spring sunshine, failing to hold back the giggles any longer. Our laughter rings through the open air as we collapse onto the lush green grass, clutching our aching bellies.

"Sometimes, Sheik just makes my day," I smile, turning to my best friend. "Come on Zellie," I say. "Let's go check out how the festival preparation is coming along!"


	5. Girlfriends

**Hello lovely people! I know you're all desperate for Link and Zelda to meet... but please bear with me! It's only a couple of chapters away! Just be a little patient, it's coming ;)**

**Anyway! It's time to say some thank yous! This is for TheMysteriousDude, Hanyoualchemist1, PrincesscharmingKnight, Franne, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, ShadowNinja1011, ButterflyBabyBlue, Bleachshowlover1, LeilaEditer, sslamajama97, Amethyst 269, Neez, MasterShortPantsx3, CreCra, and zeldalover272!**

**One little thing: this chapter contains a slight reference to two OC's from an amazing story here on fanfiction! It's not that obvious here who they are... but if you recognise them, you're all kinds of awesome :D Their identities will be revealed next chapter!**

**Thank you to LEva114 for beta-reading, especially considering the short notice!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Five - Girlfriends**

* * *

To say the least, I'm not used to driving around this part of town. I live in the south of the town near the shopping centre, the local park and the ice rink. The only reason I ever drive through the northeast is when I'm either going to the train station or visiting my grandmother. It's a lot classier up here. There are no potholes or dirty ditches at the side of the road. You'll never find a broken beer bottle or a discarded syringe around here.

Instead, the streets around here are filled with jewelers, antique shops and extortionately priced tea rooms. Children cycle around the streets without their parents worrying for their safety. The air smells a lot fresher around here, with no lingering stench of petrol or smoke. As far as the eye can see, the sidewalks are void of littler or discarded socks. Even the cars that drive through these streets put my dirty little 1994 Polo to shame.

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel of my little silver car. The glare of the red traffic light reflects against the dashboard as I sigh, waiting for it to change. I really wish I hadn't bothered to offer Saria a lift to school. I was only trying to be polite; I didn't realise that I'd have to wait for so long at these stupid traffic lights. Why does Her Grace Hylia's School for Girls have to be so far away anyway? It must cost Saria a small fortune in cab bills.

"How rich are your parents exactly?" I ask, suddenly realising how abrupt that must sound. I glance in the rear view mirror to the backseat where my best friend sits with his girlfriend. Dark shoots me a meaningful glare, though Saria just giggles.

"Rich enough," she laughs. "They're convinced Her Grace's is the best school in the area. It's rubbish if you ask me, full of snobs, but they pay for it, so I can't really complain."

I frown. "You don't like it there then?"

She shakes her head, her ponytail bobbing around her pinafore dress as she does. "No, not at all. I'd much rather go to the public school with you two."

I laugh aloud. "Believe me, you don't!"

Suddenly, a loud blaring noise breaks through the still morning air. The shiny black Mercedes just behind me is honking his horn. His amber lights flare warnings at me, intended to say 'hurry up and move!' I jump a little as I realise that the lights must have turned green. With a quick glance in the rear-view mirror, I see the impatient middle aged man gesturing towards me. I roll my eyes, pushing down on the gas.

"Alright mate," I scoff. "Keep your hair on."

* * *

The warmth radiates from the roof of my car and swelters against my arm. It's only springtime, but I can already feel the sun beating down on me. It glares through the dark shades of my sunglasses and causes me to squint. I've stood here waiting for about five minutes now as Dark says a very prolonged and over dramatic goodbye to Saria. She's locked up in his arms, and they're kissing rather passionately. Geeze… doesn't Dark realise that people don't like public displays of affection?

Well at least, that's what I've always thought. Yet it doesn't appear to be the case here in the parking lot of Her Grace Hylia's school. Young girls, presumably Saria's classmates, gather around to observe and giggle. A couple of them titter and whisper about how sweet she and Dark are, though I can also hear some older girls mumble their disappointment in Saria choosing a public school boy. The group of girls that stood closest to us, I'm guessing Saria's friends, are studying with me with eagerness in their eyes.

I frown… Are they checking me out? A couple of them smile and blush as I cast my gaze in their general direction. They're whispering in hushed tones and trying to act innocent, though I can hear their irritably high pitched giggles. I press two of my fingers together, throwing them from my forehead in a casual salute. The girls dissolve into childish titters as Dark finally pulls away from Saria.

He saunters towards me, looking very pleased with himself. "So, are you ready to go?"

"Well, I have been for the past five minutes while you've been acting like a love-struck puppy!" I mock as I pull my sunglasses from my face, pressing them into my front pocket. I clamber back into the car, feeling the instant relief of the sun away from my skin. Dark makes his way around the car and settles into the passenger seat. It doesn't take long for the two of us to be pulling back out of the parking lot and onto the posh streets again.

"Ok," I say, setting my jaw firm as we speed up along the street. "It's time for the tough talk."

Dark raises one eyebrow, giving me a cautious look. "Tough talk?" he queries.

I nod. "Enough with the girlfriend bit! I get it, you're in a relationship now, and I am really happy for you! But please, for the love of Nayru, enough with the sickly public displays of affection! Please!"

"What's gotten over you?" he scowls.

I sigh, loosening my push on the gas pedal and feeling the car slow a little. "Sorry," I mumble. "That was abrupt. I just meant… could you turn it down a bit? I like Saria, really; I just want to be able to hang out with you two without the constant kissing."

He shrugs. "Maybe it's just because you don't have a girl yet."

"That's not it," I say, completely confident. "I don't want one right now. Just tone it down… ok?"

"Fine…" he breathes.

He turns away, his gaze shifting to just outside of the passenger rear view mirror. I glance at him quickly out of the corner of my eye. He looks a little hacked off. His jaw is set firm, chin resting on the palm of his hand as he gazes at the scene that rolls past.

Maybe I'm being a little hard on him? Saria is his first girlfriend after all… He just wants to show everyone else how happy is. I feel a small bubble of guilt set in my stomach. I think I should go a little softer on him… just let him have this one.

The silence is ever present and glaringly obvious as my little car rolls through the town streets. I want to say something, to apologise to Dark and to tell him that I don't mind. Yet, deep down, I know that none of that's true. I do mind. I hate the fact that it feels like he's replacing me with Saria. I don't want to lose my best friend just because he got himself a new girlfriend. It's always just been Dark and me…

"Link…" he mumbles, sounding preoccupied.

"Yeah?" I reply.

"Pull over."

I frown, darting my head to the side to give him a confused glare. "What?" I ask. "Are you out of your mind? We'll never make it to school on time if we stop!"

"Just do it!" he growls. "There's a lay by up on the right."

"But-"

"Link!"

I sigh, feeling my nostrils flare as I exhale heavily. "Fine," I spit, gripping the gear stick and bringing it down. Within the space of a couple of seconds, we've pulled over to the side of the road. We sit in a lay by, watching the traffic whizz past as I give him an impatient glance. There's a loud clicking noise as he unlatches his seat belt and pushes himself up from the seat. Moments later he stands outside, staring at the scene ahead of him.

"What are you doing?" I exclaim. "Get back in here! We're going to be late!"

"Come on!" he blurts out. "It'll be five minutes, tops!"

I feel my own voice stutter and stammer in my throat as I consider my options. What could possibly be so important that Dark made me pull over into the lay by just so he could look at it? He wouldn't cause a fuss over nothing, though I still can't bear the thought of being late again. Having Dragmire breathing down my neck like he did yesterday is a rather unpleasant affair, and I'd rather avoid it at all costs. Eventually, I come to the conclusion that if I humour Dark for a little while, I can get him back in the car quickly. That way, we may still be in with a fighting chance of arriving at school on time.

I, rather reluctantly, unbuckle my belt and open my car door. The loud sound of cars racing past me is immediately audible as I step out onto the bleak grey suburban concrete. Wind created by the speedy vehicles blows my hair and school uniform about as I make my way around the trunk of the car to where Dark stands on the other side. He's looking out across the open field with a bright smile on his face, though I can't quite understand why.

"What are we looking at?" I ask.

He extends one long arm in its school blazer. His finger is pointing to the left and just ahead of me. I frown, turning to follow his point of interest. My fringe blows uncomfortably in the opposite direction, but I'm not too fussed. As soon as I pan my view, I immediately see what he was so intrigued by. My jaw drops a little, and I feel a shallow breath escape through my parted lips. I certainly wasn't expecting to see that.

Set out in the middle of the field, is a cluster of tents, tepees, campervans, and buses. Each of them is painted with bright colours or decorated with intricate patterns and pictures. I can see ribbons, bunting and fairy lights strung from pole to pole around the site. Plumes of smoke rise from a little fire, where I can see a small family cooking bacon, presumably for their breakfast. Their two young dark-haired children run around in circles, laughing and play fighting. They're dressed in slightly dirtied clothes that look rather like hand me downs. Both of them have messy hair and bare feet… though I've never heard laughter so loud.

The gentle tingle of a woodwind instrument carries through the early morning air, though I can't see its player anywhere. The beautiful music is quickly accompanied by the strumming of a guitar and the beat of what I'm guessing is bongo drums. Two boys make their way out of one of the buses. The first is a tall male with long red hair braided into dreadlocks. He's dressed in jarring bright colours that all clash with one another. He takes a shorter boy by the hand, this one with dark hair and wiry limbs. His clothes are ill fitting, though he dances with so much energy one might think he's losing his legs tomorrow.

"Well, would you look at that?" Dark says, watching with a smile now fixed to his features. It's almost as though he's completely forgotten my snapping at him.

"It's magical, isn't it?" I murmur.

"Yeah…" he whispers. He blinks, rapidly shaking his head as if he's snapping himself out of something. He turns to me, the mischievous glimmer back in his eyes as he gives me a crooked smile. "Come on then, you big girl," he says, "Let's get to school."

* * *

There she stands. Her back is pressed right up against my locker as she absentmindedly files her nails. I don't think she realises that she's in my way; I don't think she's even registered the fact that I'm here yet. Her eyes, ringed with smudgy black make up, look up to meet mine as she greets me with a glare that could turn milk sour. Her red tinged lips are pursed in disgust as she slips her nail file into the pocket of her leather jacket.

"What are you staring at?" Majora spits.

"I… umm… you're in the way of my locker," I stammer.

She looks behind her, momentarily losing her mask as she realises her mistake. She quickly regains her composure, smoothing out her hair, which is too bright a shade of red to be natural. Her eyes flicker over me as she steps aside and produces her phone from the pocket of her leather jacket. Her fingers, with their chipped black nail polish, tap away at the keys on the phone as she sends a text. I try my best not to glance at her screen as I open my locker and remove my ancient histories folder from it.

"I never normally see you around this part of the school," I say, making an awkward attempt at interaction.

She raises one eyebrow as her eyes flicker over me. "Ghirahim told me to meet him here."

"Ahh…" I sigh, turning away. I forgot that Majora was the latest in Ghirahim's long list of girlfriends. If I've been keeping up, they've been together for a week now. If memory serves me correctly, I think they got together at some kids party from the year above. It was meant to be the party of the year, though Ghirahim didn't get an invite. So instead of staying home like the rest of us who aren't high enough in the social pyramid, he asked a girl out just so he could go with her.

But you know what they say: speak of the devil, and he will appear. Just at that moment, Ghirahim saunters around the corner. His thick biker boots thud against the cheap lino tiled floors as he makes a bee line for Majora. He doesn't even acknowledge my presence upon arrival; he simply wraps an arm around Majora and greets her with an extremely passionate kiss. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and gag. What is it with public displays of affection these days?

I quickly close up my locker, turning to walk away. I don't manage to travel more than a few steps before I hear Ghirahim's venomous voice calling to me.

"Well, look here! If it isn't little Link," he purrs.

I sigh, closing my eyes and silently cursing my mother for making me well mannered. I turn back around, plastering on a fake smile. "Hello, Ghirahim."

He suddenly turns his attention away from me, looking down at the girl beneath his arm. "Ok babe, I'll meet you out in the parking lot, ok?"

I try not to cringe at the word 'babe' as Majora attempts to mask her disappointment by planting a kiss on Ghirahim's cheek. "Sure thing," she squeals, cupping his cheek momentarily before walking away. The hurt in her big purple eyes is clear to see, though she refuses to let Ghirahim know. Her head is hanging low as she walks further way down the corridor, though her so called boyfriend seems to be paying more attention to her ass. He makes no attempt to hide his leering.

"So Link," he says, turning to me once Majora's vanished. "I've seen you and Dark hanging around with a little green haired girl."

I wait in silence for a few moments, hoping he'll make his point. When he fails to do so, I sigh. "Yeah, her name's Saria."

"Saria…" he murmurs, letting the name roll off of his tongue. A small smile tugs at the very corners of his pale lips as his eyes glimmer. "What's her situation?"

"She's going out with Dark if that's what you mean," I say, my tone blunt. "Besides, aren't you with Majora?"

"Yeah…" he sighs, "but the whole Goth look is kind of wearing thin, y'know?"

I feel resentment bubbling up inside of me at Ghirahim's callous disregard. I know that Majora isn't the nicest girl in the world. She constantly messes around in class and likes to pick on the less popular girls, but that doesn't mean she deserves to be played. The worst part is that Ghirahim doesn't even care how much he's hurting her. He didn't see the look in her eyes as she walked away from us. I open my mouth to stand up for Majora, but before I can even say a word, an excited voice cuts me off.

"Link! Hey Link! There you are."

I sigh, quickly shutting my mouth and turning to see an eager Dark approach me. He clasps his phone in one hand, and it's open to a text message from Saria. His other hand grabs my arm as he grins eagerly.

"So I was telling Saria all about the traveller camp we saw this morning-"

"The traveller camp, eh?" Ghirahim cuts in. "Yeah, I've seen that. There are some nice Twili girls staying there…"

Dark shoots him a nervous look but doesn't justify him with a response. "Anyway, she said that she's seen it too and thinks it looks really cool! She reckons that the three of us should go to the festival!"

"G… go to the festival?" I stutter. "What the heck? We can't go!"

Suddenly, there's a loud snort of laughter from behind me as Ghirahim says, "Oh sure, perfect little Link never sets a toe out of line! He couldn't possibly go to a festival, how outrageous!" His voice drips with a sarcastic smirk that I really can't stand. The onyx pupils of his eyes are gleaming with malice as he reaches out one pale hand, clapping me rather violently on the back. "Grow a pair, precious."

And with that he stalks away, biker boots once again thudding on the cheap lino. I roll my eyes. That's exactly why I don't like Ghirahim Diamonds.

"You have to admit, he has a point though," Dark mumbles.

"He doesn't have a point!" I defend. "Look at it this way, Dark. We know nothing about what happens at this festival. No one else we know is going. We don't know how safe it is, if we need to pay to get in, if there's a dress code. It would be stupid for us to go!"

Dark laughs a little in reply, raising his eyes to the roof. "Of course! I forgot baby Link is too scared to take a chance and just wing it! I was right, you are just a little goody goody, aren't you?"

"I'm not a goody goody!" I yell, attracting the unwanted attention of a few other school students. They give me judging glances, though I don't have the time to worry about it.

"Prove it then," Dark dares, crossing his arms. "Come with me and Saria to the festival."

"Fine!" I spit.

"Good!" he replies. "Saturday, six o'clock at the entrance to the site."


	6. The Festival Begins

**Hello ladies and gentlemen! None of you managed to make this right guess about the OC's, but their identities will be revealed in this chapter! They come from a story by the lovely ButterflyBabyBlue, called Threads of Fate! Be sure to check it out!**

**Anyway, lovely reviewers need thanking! So love and hugs to TheMysteriousDude, ButterflyBabyBlue, PrincesscharmingKnight, ShadowNinja1011, sslamajama97, Hanyoualchemist1, CreCra, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, MasterShortPantsx3, Joyma, Franne, Neez, and Bleachshowlover1!**

**Without further ado... it's time for the long awaited festival to begin... ;)**

**Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Six - The Festival Begins**

* * *

He emerges from behind the privacy partition, looking like he stepped right off the pages of my history book. Almost every inch of his body is covered in a tight blue fabric that hugs his muscles respectively. Parts of his limbs and lower torso are armoured in stitched leather guards, dark blue in colour. His lower arms, chest, upper head and a few of his fingers are wrapped in white bandages, though I'm almost sure that they're only decorative. Even with the faded white cowl that covers his lower face, I know that he's grinning from the sparkle in his eye.

As he takes a few steps forward, the white and blue tabard with the orange Sheikah symbol conforms to the shape of his muscles. He spreads his arms wide either side of him, displaying his costume to me in its entirety. I can't fight the happy giggle that runs along my throat and through my lips as he begins to pull various poses, showing off once again. He skilfully kicks and chops at an invisible enemy as I break into fits of laughter.

Midna is first to speak. "Wow Sheik, you look like the warrior himself!"

"I know," he says, standing up a little straighter and laughing.

"Wow Sheik, you're so modest," I mock.

"Lay off!" he says, poking me on the arm. "Anyway, I don't think my costume is a patch on Midna's!"

A little colour runs to Midna's cheeks as she hops up to her feet, giving us a little spin. Her costume is almost entirely black, printed with silver designs intended to look the mirror of twilight. She wears a black top that curls inwards over her pale skin. Much of her stomach is bare, and I'm almost envious; I'd never have the confidence to wear clothes like that. Around her waist she dons a long skirt that floats right down to her feet. She wears two gold anklets around her exposed leg that match the band holding her hair in place. On top of all this, she spots a long black hooded cloak, decorated with the same pattern as her skirt: the mirror of twilight.

"I think you both did an amazing job," I smile, jumping to my feet in my long white dress. I settled with this one upon the suggestion of Sheik and Midna. Besides, it fits perfectly with the festival as it's designed to look like the dress of the Mortal Goddess in the first legend.

"As did you Zellie," Midna giggles, taking a step closer to me and wrapping one arm around my shoulders. She pulls me in for a quick hug, and Sheik decides to invite himself in too. He wraps his huge arms around us, and squeezes us both tight around the ribs, making us squeal and wriggle in his strong arms. He laughs to himself as he lets us go, straightening his tabard as Midna and I press the creases out of our clothes.

"Ok," he says, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "What's say the three of us head out for the festival?"

Midna approaches the door of the tepee, taking her time to roll up the fabric and let us all out. As we step out into the evening, I'm taken aback by just how bright it is. It's almost seven; normally at this time the sky is beginning to dim, lit mainly by the moonlight. As I cast my gaze upwards, I find the source of the light. Thousands upon thousands of tiny lights are strung over the site. They shine in countless different colours: bright oranges, glowing blues and vibrant greens run between each tepee and caravan.

"Wow…" Midna breathes.

We begin to make our way through the site. The long grass works its way between the toes of my sandals, tickling at my feet. All around me I can hear laughter, music, chatter and singing. There's a warm, earthy aroma that travels from one of the gazebos, where I can see portly man leant over a bubbling pot of pumpkin soup. To my left, I can see a thin Twili woman dangling glowing crystals from long ribbons. I can see her holding a blue gem above the baby bump of a heavily pregnant woman. She tells the woman that she'll be having a baby girl.

We make our way forward, turning a corner. Just ahead of me, a little girl is having a beautiful butterfly painted on her face by an elderly lady with a kind smile. A little cluster of kids sit just beyond her, each with their own facial decorations. Even from here I can see a tiger, a puppy, and a girl with lovely rainbows dashed across her cheeks. There are many more young children queuing up waiting for their turn, excitedly whispering about what they'll be painted as.

"Hey, Zelda! Sheik!" comes a loud shout from behind us.

I turn abruptly, trying to see who wants my attention. As I whizz around, my eyes fall on two familiar faces. The first is a tall boy with red dreadlocks that fall all around his shoulders. He's dressed in plenty of layers, each of a different colour. Even from here I can see a red vest, green shirt, blue top, yellow scarf, violet jeans a pair of orange boots. In one hand he clutches a glass of amber liquid which threatens to spill on the grass as he moves. I can feel a smile spreading across my face at the very sight of him.

"Ardaia!" I exclaim.

He walks over to me, pulling me in for a hug with his toned arms. He's a friend of mine from about six months ago. When I visited a camp in Lon Lon, him and his friend Rynae were running a stall that sold fancy rosé and wine. I didn't have much interest in what they were selling; they are a couple of years older than me after all. But Impa dropped by to get a bottle of wine, and we got to talking. They actually spoke to Sheik first… but we all ended up friends regardless. While it's true, that they can be faulted for their drunkenness and their careless nature, it doesn't change the fact that they're amazing company.

"You're not forgetting about me, are you?" asks the shorter boy as Ardaia and I break apart. His grey eyes glimmer at me beneath a mess or black hair that flops over his face. His hands are resting on his hips, skinny joints forming jagged angles as he watches me hopefully. He too holds a glass, though his appears to be empty, held by its thin stem. I laugh aloud, reaching my arms up around his shoulders and pulling him in for a hug.

"Like I could ever forget you Rynae!" I giggle.

Sheik smiles, greeting both of his friends while Midna watches awkwardly from the side-lines. She wasn't at the camp where we met Ardaia and Rynae. She doesn't know them at all. Though neither of them are particularly put off about introducing themselves. They never have been shy.

"Who might you be?" Ardaia asks, turning to look at Midna.

She steps forward a little, smiling in a friendly fashion. "Midna," she states. "I'm a friend of Sheik and Zellie's."

"Nice to meet you," Ardaia says, nodding. "Any chance you want to dance?" he asks, gesturing towards a corner where a musician is playing a flute.

"Sure," she smiles as he takes her hand, leading her across the grass.

"Zelda?" Rynae asks, raising one dark eyebrow.

I giggle, "how could I say no?"

His skinny hand takes mine as we make our way across the long grass to wear a crowd of people are already dancing. His hands wrap around my waist, and mine around his neck as we start to move with the beat. The way we dance isn't complex, but it's fun and lively and makes us both giggle. The song is familiar to me, though I can't quite place my finger on where I've heard it before. I'm pretty sure that it's one of the songs from the legends, though I can't be certain.

Rynae moves his hands from my waist, taking them in his. We both spin around, laughing as our bodies bump clumsily. Neither of us are particularly skilled dancers, though at festivals like this, that doesn't matter. The only thing that people really care about here is having fun and celebrating the triumph of the first hero. That's why Rynae and I are dancing like crazy people. Anyone watching might think that we're certifiably insane, but at least I'm having fun.

We both switch places so that we're facing in the opposite direction, still dancing madly. His eyes are sparkling and I'm laughing so hard that my stomach aches. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Ardaia and Midna moving in a similar fashion, both of them chortling together. Yet, as I glance over Rynae's shoulder, I find a completely different scene. My body movements slow as I watch him, breathing levelling out.

Sheik is sat on the floor in the shadows, back pressed up against a campervan. His legs are curled up like a shield, hiding him from the rest of the world. He rakes his bandage-tipped fingers through his exposed hair, pushing it back from his face. There's a lonely aura that floats around him, making him look unapproachable. His normally bright red eyes look somehow shallow and cold as he watches Midna dance with Ardaia.

"Something up?" Rynae asks, his smile faltering.

"Just one moment…" I mumble, dropping his hands and making my way across the grass. I duck and dive between dancers until I arrive, standing just a few feet away from Sheik. He hasn't acknowledged my arrival, just continues staring blindly at Midna and Ardaia. A sigh trembles through me as I turn, sitting down next to him. The metal campervan feels cold through the thin fabric of my dress, though now's not the time to worry.

I gently poke Sheik on one of his leather guards. "Hey," I mumble. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing…" he replies, turning to look at me. The usually bright spark in his eyes has dulled, leaving him looking alone.

I raise one eyebrow, shuffling a little closer. "Come on Sheik," I say. "I've lived with you for eight years; you're like a brother to me. You think I don't know when you're lying?"

There's a moment of lingering silence between us, and I swear that Sheik's about to reply. Yet, instead of this, a shadow falls over him, and a tall glass of amber liquid is thrust in front of us. I look up to see Rynae glancing down at us through the fringe of his jet black mop of hair. A small smile plays across his lips and he gently nudges Sheik with the toe of his trainers. In his hand he holds a glass of rosé, obviously intended for Sheik.

"No thanks," Sheik sighs. "I don't drink."

"That's a shame…" Rynae mumbles, though he doesn't seem that disappointed as he holds up the glass and takes a sip himself.

"Come on Sheik," I say, prodding him again. "I'm not going to let this go, you know how stubborn I am!"

"Whatever…" he sighs, no longer sounding interested in our conversation. He groans a little as he pushes himself up to his feet, taking the time to dust off his warrior costume. Rynae and I watch him nervously; unsure of what he's going to do next. The music continues to play and Midna and Ardaia are still dancing, oblivious to what's happening. Sheik pauses momentarily, looking thoughtful, though decides not to pursue his thoughts.

"I hate to rush off, Rynae," he says, "but they're telling the story of the first legend on the other side of the camp and I really don't want to miss it. Zelda, come on." He reaches out one toned arm, helping me to my feet. It sounds to me like he's making any old excuse to leave… though I don't have the nerve to bring it up.

"It's a shame you couldn't stick around," Rynae says, joining us on his feet. "Don't be strangers now, ok?" he says, reaching out and gently resting one hand on my shoulder. He leans in and plants a kiss on my left cheek. He then moves on to Sheik and does the same. As we go on to collect Midna, he does the same with her, much to her astonishment. Ardaia then repeats this action on our right cheeks, and we all say our goodbyes.

"Umm…" Midna mumbles as we walk away, "what was all that about?"

"The kissing?" I ask.

"Yeah," she clarifies.

"It's just something they do," Sheik says. "I don't really understand it; they say it's treating something you like with affection… It's just the way they are if you ask me."

Midna tilts her head a little to the side in an understanding gesture, before linking her arm up with mine. "Whatever," she shrugs. "Come on! I want to hear the story of the first legend!"

* * *

"The Mortal Goddess and the others returned to the present time. The atmosphere was peaceful and there was a feeling of a new beginning. Her Grace resolved to live on the Surface and to protect the Triforce. However, the destruction of The Demon King was not the end of the battle. It was the beginning of a curse: a never ending cycle of the reincarnation of the Demon King, whose hatred for those with the blood of the Goddess and the spirit of the Hero is everlasting."

The young Rito girl slaps her thick, leather bound book shut. "And that's all that's written…" she says, her big dark eyes sparkling. "No one knows what became of the Hero of the Skies and the Mortal Goddess after that. Just don't forget this: if it weren't for them, and countless others like them, we wouldn't be who we are today."

A small, respectful applause spreads through the crowds that have gathered around the campervan. She sits on the roof, reading old legends from her history book, guided only by candle light and the dim glow of fairy lights. A mesmerized crowd formed around her. Each and every member of which, were drinking in her carefully crafted words, hand scrawled into the leather bound notebook. Though it's difficult to know how much of the tale is true, it's a beautiful story nonetheless.

The crowds begin to thin as the young Rito girl starts to walk away. Groups of eager listeners tail after her, keen to know more about the old legends, the hero and the Mortal Goddess. Who can blame them? It was an enticing tail. More festival goers slink off to find food, a drink, or more entertainment, and it's not long before just Sheik, Midna and I are left standing alone in the long grass.

"Wow…" Midna breathes "I've never heard the first legend told like that…"

"Tell me about it," I reply. I feel a small shiver traverse down my spine, and I'm not sure if it's from the cold or that story.

"For crying out loud Zel, you look frozen!" Sheik exclaims. "Come on, you two head over into the main tepee, I'll get us all some hot punch, ok?"

"That sounds like a perfect plan to me…" Midna grins, "make sure to get extra fruit in mine!"

"You got it," Sheik calls, already making his way towards the long line forming by a drinks stand.

Midna wraps one warm arm around my shoulders, and the two of us make our way over towards the entrance of the large tepee in the middle of the site. Even as we approach, I can hear jangly folk music coming from within. My pointed ears pick out a banjo, a guitar, bongo drums and a ukulele. The loud laughter and chatter of happy crowds radiate through the thick fabric walls, and I can see shadows from within moving along the white canvas.

"You know…" I say, as we approach the entrance, "You made Sheik really jealous when you were dancing with Ardaia."

She smiles a little, looking almost pleased with herself. "I don't have the faintest idea what you're on about Zellie," she smirks.

"Admit it," I say, "you like him!"

"Oh please," she replies. "My parents would never let me go out with a Sheikah!"

"I'm not hearing a no! And since when did you listen to anything your parents told you?"

She rolls her eyes, pulling open the canvas doorway and grabbing me by the wrist. She drags me inside, almost as if she's trying to distract me and change the conversation. The air becomes instantaneously warmer as we make our way inside. All the bodies packed into the confined space makes for a stuffy, moist atmosphere, but I don't really mind. The air is warm; with a slight smell of smoke and cheap drinks… it feels like home to me.

A collection of people sit on stools at one end of the tepee, drinking alcoholic punch and homemade wines and beers. They're gathered in small groups, laughing and knocking their thick glasses together. On the other end of the tepee, a smaller group of people sit with a variety of instruments. Woodwind, brass, percussion and string instruments are held by all kinds of people. There's an old man holding withered banjo, a young child clutching a pipe whistle, and a bright eyed middle aged man with a beard banging on bongos.

And that's when I see something a little different. A group of three people are sat on the floor just beside the performers. Each of them is clutching cup of the warm fruit punch, and appear to be conversing amongst themselves. In comparison to the rest of the room: full of mad dancers and happy drinkers, they seem relatively withdrawn and quiet. The abnormality in these three is that they're so seemingly ordinary.

Out of the three of them though, there's one that really catches my eye. He watches everyone with a calm, reserved distance, though his blue eyes are sparkling. While his friends appear to be in deep conversation, he's more interested in watching the dancers. He takes in each move, every rhythm, nodding along to the beat of the music as he does. His fingers drum against the cap of his knee as he mouths along lyrics that I never knew existed. He's keen, eager, oddly fascinated, drinking in the very essence of the festival.

Then his blue eyes snap up, glancing directly at me. There's a brief lingering moment of stillness, where neither of us quite know what to say or do. His fingers rest, poised in mid-tap. His lips are parted a little as he watches me, neither of us daring to utter a word. The moment quickly passes, and he loosens his freeze, closing his open mouth and blinking a couple of times. He fixes me with a shy smile, and the smallest of waves. I can't help but smile back.

"There you are!" a voice suddenly calls out. I drag my attention away from the blue eyed boy, over to where Sheik is pushing through crowds of people. He holds three cups of steaming punch in his hands, passing them out as he reaches Midna and I.

"I'm lucky to have found you!" he laughs, "this place is so crowded!"

"You're not wrong," Midna says, taking a timid sip of her piping hot drink.

Just at that moment, the music in the tepee comes to a finish, and the crowd cheers loudly as the musicians take their bows. The tall, dark haired singer raises his arms out to the crowds and hushes the loud cheers.

"Thank you! Now, is there anyone else out there who'd like to play some music? All are welcome!"

"Sheik!" Midna hisses, elbowing him.

"Oh no…" he mumbles. "I couldn't…" though he can't seem to hide the grin that's spreading across his face. I can see he really wants to, even if he won't admit it.

"This boy will!" Midna says, shooting one long slender arm into the air and pointing directly at Sheik. Faces of the crowd turn to see Sheik, having heard Midna's loud voice. Murmurs begin to spread through the crowd as a wide grin breaks out across Sheik's face. He loves every second of the attention he's getting. He fakes embarrassment, looking down at his feet whilst subtly passing me his glass.

"Well…" he says, "I guess I could sing just one song… has anyone got a ukulele they'd lend me?"

Within a matter of moments, Sheik is being pushed through the crowd, handed a ukulele, and jostled up onto the stage. He sports a grin brighter than I've ever seen on him before, and warms up the cheering crowds that gather around him. I laugh, letting out a loud cheer and clapping for him. I'm grinning too, and Midna is laughing aloud as she watches the boy that we've grown so close to readying himself for his first proper performance.

Just for one moment, I look back over to where the blue eyed boy was sat with his two friends. I'm curious to know what he makes of Sheik. He seemed to love the music before, and I can't help but wonder whether he'll tap along with his performance or not. Yet, as my gaze falls on the spot, I feel my smile faltering a little. I observe only empty grass and blank canvas… he and his friends have vanished without a trace.


	7. I'm Yours

**Well hello ladies and gentlemen! I'm into my half term now, and gearing up to go on study leave! There's only two more weeks of exams after the half term, and then I'm free to write as much as I like without having to worry about studying! Hopefully, it'll help my writers block to clear up too as I'll be less stressed! Result!**

**Anyway, awesome reviewers need thanking! So lots of love and hugs go out to TheMysteriousDude, sslamajama97, ButterflyBabyBlue, PrincesscharmingKnight, darkboy18, ShadowNinja1011, MasterShortPantsx3, Yanner12, Guest, Neez, Joyma, Franne, burning book, CreCra, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, Hanyoualchemist1, zeldalover272, and Bleachshowlover1!**

**Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Seven - I'm Yours**

* * *

The gentle acoustic music begins to play, and I can't fight the smile that spreads across my face. Sheik is predictable. I should have known he'd do Jason Mraz. He sings softly, his voice effortlessly carrying through the large tepee. It weaves its way between the crowds of people that are slowly shifting to the beat. Bodies loosen up in the warm air, infected by the music that refuses to be ignored. I don't know if its Sheik's strong, yet silky smooth voice or the tantalizingly sweet chords he pulls on the ukulele, but it seems that people can't help but love this. It's only a matter of moments before everyone is up on their feet dancing.

As he continues to sing, the bearded man we saw earlier begins to play his bongo drums too, adding beat to the song. A group of three men sat by the entrance add in 'oohs' and 'aahs' to accompany. The music increases in volume, and Sheik begins signing louder as he finds he enjoys it more and more. His bandaged fingers continue to expertly strum against the thin strings of the ukulele. Even from here I can see the wide grin on his face. He loves every second of this.

Seconds later, Sheik jumps down from the main performance deck. He begins working his way through the crowd, still playing the sandy coloured-ukulele in his hands. He weaves through the throng of people, stopping to smile at pretty girls and flash them a cheeky week. He just can't help but flirt, can he? As he arrives beside Midna and I, he takes care to give Midna special attention. He saunters slowly around her, pausing only to lean back against her arm, glancing over his shoulder to watch her.

In all the eight years that I've known Sheik, I've never seen him as alive as he is right now. Something about giving him an instrument and letting him sing is truly astounding. He's got magic in his voice box and he's not afraid to use it. Watching him perform is like watching the real him. He's a show off, a little arrogant, but indisputably talented and extremely entertaining. Considering that he's been like a brother to me for so long… it's strange to feel like I'm just getting to know him again.

He turns, glancing over his shoulder towards a young girl who idly holds a guitar. He gives her a swift nod, and she smiles in reply and begins to play. The slightly lower tone adds depth to the music, and allows Sheik to hand the ukulele back to its rightful owner. Now empty handed, he begins to sashay through the enticed crowd. He takes children and adults alike by their hands, spinning them round or dancing with them for a few moments.

That's when his fiery red eyes snap up, and he glances over to me. A cheeky, knowing grin tugs at the corner of his lips and he throws out one arm, pointing directly to me. The crowds divide like the red sea and he dances towards me. His strong arms take me and we begin to spin wildly through the tepee. I can't contain the laughter that runs free from my throat, accompanied by the never faltering sound of his seemingly flawless vocals.

He then releases me, guiding me to a standstill with one hand. I mouth my thanks to him and he replies with a cheeky subtle wink, before turning to look at Midna. I watch as the blood rushes to her impossibly pale cheeks, and she begins to smile. She reaches out one slender arm as Sheik makes his way towards her. She seems taken aback by his burst of confidence; though I can't say I'm surprised. She appeared almost blind to all the other times he's tried to show off in front of her.

The song comes to a finish with the two of them dancing together. His muscular figure almost swamps her delicate slender one, but I think it's cute none the less. His last line rings out through the tepee, though it's quickly swallowed by the thunderous applause that follows moments later. His eyes are shining brightly as he takes a bow, but I'm not sure if it's from his little performance, or because he just got to dance with Midna.

"Thank-you!" Sheik calls out to the crowds, "you've been an amazing audience!"

Midna rolls her eyes at the cliché as the two of them make their way back over towards me. People are patting Sheik on the back and telling him how talented he is. He takes the time to smile and thank each and every one of them.

"Sheik, that was amazing!" I exclaim.

"Well I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for Midna putting me up to it," he says, wrapping one lean arm around her shoulders and giving her a knowing smile. She returns the gesture, and just at that moment, I can see a spark between them. I've known it for quite some time, but right here and now it's glaringly obvious. His eyes are sparkling as he watches her, and she can't help but blush under his intense gaze.

I feel myself slowly retreating, not wanting to get involved in this whole affair. It seems kind of like a personal moment to me. I slowly push through the crowds, who are now dancing along to music once again. Worming my way through the bustling tepee is proving more difficult than I thought, but I eventually manage to reach the door of the tepee and step out into the cool night air. Relief washes over me after being cooped up in the moist bubble for so long.

Moonlight pools onto my skin, making me look deathly pale in my long white Goddess dress. My shoes tap against the ground as I walk along the dusty path, lit by the moonlight and the fairy lights that are still glowing. The only sounds to be heard are the faded laughter and music coming from the tepee, where the majority of people have now retreated to. Cold air runs through my body with every breath, making me shiver and wonder if I should go back to my own tepee to get a jacket.

"Are you cold?" comes a soft voice from behind me.

I whizz around to my left, startled by the sudden sound. Two piercing blue eyes gaze back at me, glowing in the gentle moonlight. The smallest hint of a smile passes across my lips as the sudden realisation dawns on me: it's the blue eyed boy from before. His sandy blond hair falls over his forehead, finishing just above his eyes. Long lashes sweep through the air as he blinks. Lashes like that are wasted on a boy. He sits on the grass, leaning back up against a tall apple tree with a thick trunk.

"No," I lie, slowly approaching him. "I'm fine."

He narrows his eyes a little, but doesn't push to question any more. Instead, he simply pats the spot next to him, inviting me to sit down.

"So," he says as I gingerly sit down, being careful not to crease my Goddess dress. "What's a pretty girl like you doing out in the cold, while everyone else is inside having fun?"

I sigh audibly as I begin to tug at individual blades of grass. "I came here with these two friends of mine… and now I kind of feel like a third wheel."

He blows his air out through his cheeks, leaning back casually. "I know that feeling…" he says, nodding slowly to himself.

I frown. "Those two people I saw you with?"

"Yup," he sighs. "My best friend just got himself a girlfriend, and now he spends more time with her than me. I can't help wondering if I'm being replaced."

I slowly suck the air in through my teeth before giving him a sympathetic smile. "That sucks, huh?"

"Pretty much," he sighs. "But hey, that's life for you."

"What does that mean?" I ask.

He sighs, shifting his seating position so he faces me more directly. "Have you ever felt like you're just… _there?_ Like you're always just an extra, and no one would really notice if you weren't around?"

I sigh, casting my mind back to those childhood days. Long before being a traveller, before I'd even met Sheik and Impa. The smell of cheap fabric softener stings in my nostrils as I recall the scratchy bed sheets in the little attic bedroom. Images of photographs stuck with sticky tape to the thick paper of my treasured scrapbook flash through my mind. It was the only thing that I could bring myself to confide in.

My aunt's shrill voice rings in my ears even now: "_Eat all your fruitcake dear, it'll put some meat on your bones._" She never listened when I told her that I didn't like that stodgy fruit cake. She didn't care enough to listen to my opinion or take in anything I asked of her. I was just the girl who did the dishes, walked her yappy little dog and collected the post in the mornings. She didn't realise the countless days I sat by my little window, watching the world pass by and wondering why I couldn't join in.

"_I'll never understand that girl,_" she said. "_She just locks herself in her room all day. What am I supposed to do with her?_" She thought I was asleep by that point. She never noticed the grey circles under my eyes from my insomnia. She never heard my footsteps in the hall way as I traipsed down her old wooden staircase to get a glass of water. She never questioned why I would be up at five o'clock in the morning; I doubt she even noticed.

"Yeah," I mutter, dragging myself back to reality. "I'm familiar."

"It's just… a really demoralizing way to see yourself," he mutters. I study his blue eyes, once alight in the darkness, that now look cold and empty. He picks up a jagged rock from between the over ground roots, turning it between his fingers. His skin pulls taught against his knuckles as he clenches his grip on the small stone, before tossing it away into the darkness. A small sigh runs through his whole torso as he slumps into a small ball, chin resting on his knees.

"It can't be all bad," I whisper. "What about your mum, or your dad?"

A small, hollow laugh jolts his shoulders a little. "My dad doesn't care," he mumbles as he begins uprooting the grass in front of us, taking the time to pick dirt off the dirt.

"How about your mum?" I ask.

"She died when I was five," he says. I'm taken a back a little at how calm and collected he sounds when saying that. He may as well have just told me that he likes strawberries or owns a pair of jeans. I've never heard someone so calm about the matter. Dealing with the death of a parent is one of the hardest things a person ever has to do, especially if they're just a child when it happens. Yet he seems so calm about the circumstance. I don't understand how he does that...

I look up, concerned and confused by his blatant honesty. Yet, when I cast my gaze to him, I find his blue eyes staring at me, startled. His lips are slightly parted in thought, making him appear gormless.

"What?" I ask, a little concerned.

"I just realised…" he murmurs, "you're a complete stranger. I just monologued my insecurities to someone I've never even met before. You must think I'm a complete lunatic…"

"You're not a lunatic," I smile, "just a genuine human."

He turns to look at me, the smallest hint of a sparkle returning to his eyes. He offers me a hand, and says, "I'm Link."

"Zelda," I reply, accepting the handshake.

"Well then Zelda," he says, smirking. "Let's go have some fun!"

* * *

"WINNER!" squeals the young lady who runs the bombchu bowling stall. Her electric blue fringe bounces as she jumps to her feet, clapping and squealing in celebration. Her bright pink lips are pouted as she runs back behind the make-shift counter that she's set up. I watch with a bright smile on my face as she rummages through a box, producing a small pendant on a silver chain before making her way over to Link.

"Here's your prize young man!" she says, dropping the prize into the palm of his hand.

Link takes a moment to examine the pendant, before turning to me and smiling as the blue haired attendant walks away to see other customers. "Come on then," he says, beckoning for me to join him.

I approach him, still laughing from his marvellous display. I've been at many festivals where the Bombchu bowling alley has been set up. I've seen Sheik beat it on numerous occasions, but I've never known anyone to do it as fast as Link did it. He beat the three levels using just three bombchus. He sent the bombchus rattling away and into the goal each and every time without fail. It was really quite impressive.

"Here," he mumbles. He steps slowly behind me, looping the pendant around my neck and fastening it together. The glass feels cold against my chest as it settles into place just below my collar bone. I glance down, examining the little piece. It's a small red jewel shaped like a heart embedded into yet another heart made of glass. It dangles on a thick black thread, and although it's heavy, I think it's really pretty. It reminds me a little of the illusive heart pieces the Hero of Time was said to collect.

"Thank you, Link" I say, turning to him. "This is gorgeous."

"My pleasure," he smiles.

There's a moment of tentative silence. His blue eyes are sparkling as he watches me, and it feels like my heart is suddenly working twice as hard to pump my blood. My cheeks begin to stain as I feel myself flush. I've never had a boy give me anything before… apart from Sheik that is. But Sheik doesn't count; he's like a brother to me. The weight of the pendant suddenly doubles as I feel Link take my arm gently.

"So," he says, "what do you want to do next?"

A small idea begins to trickle through my mind, and I feel myself smirking a little.

"Hey Link," I say. "Have you ever ridden in a Rickshaw before?"

* * *

"This is absolutely insane!" he shouts, struggling to withhold his laughter.

"Yup," I reply, "but it's the best feeling in the world!"

The flimsy walls of the Rickshaw trailer are thrown back and forth with each bump that we pass. The rattle of the bicycle chain is audible as our obscure little vehicle trundles around the paths of Kakariko Town Park. There's a pleasant breeze from the movement, enough to be noticeable, but not to become a nuisance. Link and I are tucked away in the back seat of the Rickshaw, trailing after an old bicycle.

"Everything ok back there?" calls out Beedle, the cyclist.

"Great, thanks!" I call back, though I can't help noticing how Link's fingertips are yellow from where he tightly grips the seat. "Nervous?" I ask between the giggles.

"A little," he admits. "I've got to be honest with you, Zelda. I don't normally do stuff like this."

"Really?" I ask. My body lurches as we ride over a particularly large bump in the path. Link reaches out, gripping my arm in panic. I turn to study him. "I've been travelling for eight years! Yet you seem kind of new to it…"

"I… I am," he stutters. "I'm not a traveller at all, in fact. I live in the town… I only came here tonight because my friends made me."

He cringes a little as I feel my mouth fall open, watching him in shock. I've met so many bizarre people at these festivals. I've come across fortune tellers, dancers, prophets, psychics, and artists. I've met a variety of people selling so many strange and exotic things. I've seen countless people in costumes, tribal dress, and painted clan tattoos. But in all the eight years that I've been travelling with Sheik and Impa, I've never met someone at a festival who's not a traveller.

"It's just that they think I'm boring," he gushes. "They tell me that I never do anything fun, that I never take a chance. I came here tonight to try to prove a point, but I think I'm a little bit out of my depth here, Zelda. You're so quirky and exotic! You know so much, you're so cool with everything. How do you do that?"

"I guess I'm used to it…" I laugh.

"Yeah…" he sighs. "I wish I could say the same thing."

The Rickshaw trailer suddenly jerks to a stop, throwing us forward a little.

"End of the circular!" Beedle calls out. "I'm afraid you've got to get off."

I push myself up to my feet, and Link and I hop down from the back of the Rickshaw. I hand Beedle a yellow rupee before he cycles away, looking for more potential customers.

"I feel so embarrassed," Link says once Beedle's out of ear shot.

"Why?" I ask, genuinely confused.

"Because you're a traveller!" he exclaims. "You get to live this cool exotic life going from place to place. I can't even fathom the people you must have met in eight years! What am I in comparison to that? I'm just a small town boy who can't take a chance."

"Don't you listen to those idiots!" I say. "You're more than that and you know it! Look, I'm staying in town for a couple more weeks before we move on. So any time you feel like doing something weird, come and stop by, ok?"

He looks down a little, clearly embarrassed. "Ok…" he mumbles.

"You have to promise!" I tease.

"Ok," he laughs, "I promise."

It's only as I look down that I realise he's been holding my hand for this whole conversation. I'm pleasantly surprised at how warm and comfortable his palm feels. Oddly enough… it seems to fit mine like a puzzle piece. I can't help but wonder if he meant to take my hand or not. Regardless, he doesn't seem to be complaining. I take a deep breath to say something, but the opportunity is stolen before I can cease it.

"LINK! There you are!"

Two figures are fast running up the path towards us. The first is a tall, slender boy in a pair of dark jeans and a black hoodie. He wears a crooked smile and walks with a certain confidence that tells me just how self-assured he is. Just a pace behind him is a smaller, petite girl. Her hair falls in a neat pixie crop just around her jawline, and I'm a little startled by the bright green colour. I can't help but wonder if her family have Kokiri origins.

"You've been gone for so long, we were worried about you!" the boy says, slinging an arm around the now rather uncomfortable looking Link.

"Ooh, who's your friend, Link?" the green haired girl asks, giving me a warm smile. "I'm Saria, and this is my boyfriend, Dark. And you are…?"


	8. Past Circumstances

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* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Seven - Past Circumstances**

* * *

The four of us sit under the protective branches of a proud oak tree that shade us from what little light there is. Dappled moonlight breaks through the gaps in the thin green leaves, freckling over our clothes, skin, and the grass around us. It glimmers in the corners of my eyes each time I turn my head, and makes the skin of my friends appear blotched and pale. The flecks of light glare off of Dark's watch whenever he moves, and it causes me to squint in the half light.

From the distance, I can still hear the noises of festival goers as they celebrate the success of the young hero that Professor Shad told us about. Loud laughter and the clatter of slightly out of tune folk instruments echo through the otherwise silent air. The strong smell of warm punch and the light that pools from the tepee accompany the clatter of people enjoying the night. Though honestly, I think I'm having a better time out here than I ever would in there.

I tried going in and joining in on the festivities, but I couldn't find myself enjoying it. I felt so out of place, isolated and excluded from all the fun. People were dancing, drinking strange concoctions and partying like wild animals. Even Dark and Saria were chattering happily between themselves as they took in all the culture and events. And there was me, sitting on the outside, watching everyone else having the time of their lives.

So when Saria and Dark got up to dance, I left. I didn't want to sit there on my own feeling like a spare part. It was hassle and hell to squeeze through all the thriving bodies, but somehow I managed and stumbled out into the dark night, alone. It was a strange relief, to feel like I didn't have to keep up that mask I was holding there. My cheeks were sore from faking smiles for Saria and Dark, and all I wanted was some peace and quiet.

I didn't really find that, but I did find something a lot better. She emerged from the bustling tepee just a few minutes after me. She was shivering to no end, and looked strangely lonely. Despite my sour mood, I began to talk to her. Her wide indigo eyes were full of empathy, and she listened intently as I rambled thoughtlessly about my personal problems to a complete and utter stranger. At that point, I didn't even know her name. Does that make me crazy?

Maybe I am, but she didn't seem to care. She dragged me around lots of the festival stalls, encouraging me to compete in the different attractions. She let me try things that I never thought I'd do, and even pulled me into a Rickshaw ride. It was strange and bizarre, but a small part of me loved it. I adored being able to experience new things and she didn't care about how clueless I was. She reminded me how much fun it is to actually live my life, rather than just hiding myself away and waiting for life to happen.

"That's so surreal," Dark mumbles, dragging me from my thoughts. "I mean, eight years ago I was… sat at home playing on my Wii with Link. Meanwhile, you were travelling the kingdom! You were so young!"

"I guess…" Zelda sighs, "but it was the right time for a change. I think it's what I needed."

"A change?" Dark asks. "What happened?"

"I'd just lost my parents," she says, looking down at the ground.

I snap my gaze up, suddenly realising what she's just said. Her parents died… that's why she seemed so shocked when I mentioned my mother. She knows how it feels to lose a parent. Heck, she had it worse because she lost them both. She understands that it's not something that you can be cavalier about, despite the act that I put on. So… why didn't she tell me about hers? I'd confided a lot in her, so why didn't she do the same?

"I'm sorry," Dark mutters. "I didn't know."

"It's ok," she reassures him.

Saria takes in a shallow breath. "What happened to them? If you don't mind me asking…"

"No it's fine," she says, giving Saria a smile that's a little too thin. "It was their seventh wedding anniversary. They went away for a couple of nights to Termina, and left me in the care of my aunt… but they never came back. There was a gas leak in the hotel, and by the morning there were no survivors."

"I'm so sorry…" Saria whispers. "Is that how you ended up travelling?

"Yeah," she sighs, seeming a little brighter than before. "I was taken in by my guardian, Impa, and her son, Sheik. They stayed with me in Castle Town for two weeks until after the funeral, and then we packed up and began traversing the kingdom."

I watch her in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Something doesn't seem quite right about this. There are holes in the story. Children are left to the care of guardians upon the death of their parents, true. But they can't be left, by law, to those without a home or without steady income. At least, not without a lengthy application process to prove that they're in fit position to care for a child, which can take months. Yeah, this is what happens when your dad's a lawyer. But considering all of that… why would Zelda have been left to a traveller within a couple of weeks?

"Is something wrong, Link?" she asks.

"Nothing," I reply, offering her a smile, though I can't stop the sinking feeling in my gut. Why would she lie to us about that? I understand that we barely know her, but I still see no reason for her to tell us something like that. Who knows, maybe it's not a lie? Maybe it's just an exaggeration of the truth. Besides, who am I to question a girl that I met just a few hours ago? Especially when you consider all that she's done for me. Let this one go, Link.

"Ok," Zelda breathes, jumping up to her feet and dusting her clothes off. "Enough of this moping around, let's go back in there and have some fun!"

"So it was Sheik that was singing the Jason Mraz song earlier?" I ask, taking a sip of my punch as I watch Saria and Dark dancing together.

"Yeah," Zelda laughs in reply. "That's my crazy, outgoing, massive show-off of a friend."

I frown, sidling a little closer to her so I can hear her more clearly. "You don't like it when he sings then?"

She smiles faintly. "Of course I do! When you pass that boy an instrument he becomes magic! The problem is that he knows it and isn't afraid to share it with everyone."

"And that's not a good thing?" I chuckle.

"Nope," she says, popping the 'p.' "Not if you have to live with him!"

"Come on," I reason, "he can't be that bad! What's the worst he could do?"

Zelda rolls her eyes a little as she turns, facing me more directly. "He's loud, rude, and enjoys teasing me! That's not even mentioning the fact that he has this big crush on my friend Midna and refuses to tell her!"

"You can't blame a guy for being shy around the girl he likes!" I defend.

"You can when he's been doing it for months on end!" Zelda retorts.

"Maybe he's just…" I begin to say, but my voice quickly fades away into silence as I watch the figure approaching us from the far side of the tepee. His tall physique passes effortlessly through the mass of dancers, each long stride crushing the grass below him. His arms swing confidently with each step, giving him an air of power as he walks. A voice in the back of my mind is screaming to grab Zelda and get her out of here, but I know it's too late. He's making a beeline for us.

One deathly pale, muscular arm slinks around Zelda's shoulders as he comes to a standstill before us. Her indigo eyes, wide with surprise, find the corner of his crooked smile.

"How rude of you Link," he says, "to not introduce me to your friend here." He speaks slowly, hissing each syllable at such a low volume, he may as well be whispering.

"Ghirahim," I mutter, containing the urge to shove his arm away from her. "What are you doing here?"

"Well…" he breathes, "you are your little friend were rambling on and on about this festival, so I figured that I might as well stop by and see what all the fuss was about."

"Right," I say, trying to discourage him from making further conversation.

"Oh Link," he sings tauntingly.

"What?" I hiss.

A flash of malice gleams in his onyx pupils. "You still haven't introduced me to your friend."

"Right…" I sigh, running fingers through my knotted hair. "Ghirahim, this is Zelda. Zelda, this is Ghirahim."

He curls one shapely eyebrow as he reaches out and takes her delicate little hand. He raises it to his impossibly soft lips, planting a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "What a pleasure to meet you, Zelda."

She doesn't attempt to hide her startled expression as she quickly jerks her hand away from him.

Before I even realise what I'm doing, my hand reaches out and grabs the tall sword spirit by his wrist. He gives me a look of surprise and slight amusement as I take to my feet, marching away from the startled blonde girl and dragging him with me. It hasn't even struck me that he's head and shoulders taller than me; my mind is stuck on the single track of getting him away from Zelda. Once I'm sure that she's out of earshot; I come to a standstill and whip around to face Ghirahim.

"You leave Zelda alone, you hear me?" I spit, startled by my own outburst of courage.

A smirk slithers across his features as he pries his wrist from my grip. "What's got your feathers in a ruffle? Has precious got a soft spot for the gypsy girl?"

"Of course not," I insist. "I only met her a few hours ago. I'm just sick of you strolling around thinking that you can treat girls like objects!"

The faintest hint of a laugh passes through Ghirahim's lips as he takes a small step closer to me. "Don't try and play the chivalry card, ok? Girls don't like 'nice' guys. Being a knight in shining armour won't get you anywhere with her."

"I don't want to!" I exclaim. "Believe it or not Ghirahim, boys and girls can be just friends! You know what? This isn't even my point. The point is, that I don't like the way you schmooze girls and then toss them aside like they aren't worth anything. Where's your girlfriend tonight, huh? Does she know that you're out here flirting?"

"Oh don't lecture me." he says callously.

"No! You know what you are? You're the worst kind of bully. You act like you're doing nothing wrong! You kid yourself into thinking that getting with lots of girls makes you somehow cool. But it doesn't, it just shows you up as what I've always known you to be: a bully. And I think it's about time that-"

"Did you ever wonder why I call you precious?" he says, his voice alarmingly calm as he cuts me into silence. "It's because you act like you're some sort of hero. You're this sickeningly sweet good little boy who wouldn't dare to ever set a toe out of line. Well guess what, Link? We don't live in a video game. You're not the pure hearted hero, and I'm not the cold blooded villain. So clamber down off your high horse and stop wasting your breath lecturing me on something I already know.

"And don't you dare think for even a second that you have the right to lecture me on bullying, especially not the kind where the perpetrator acts like he did nothing wrong. You treated me like a leper when we were younger. I don't remember you ever inviting me to sit and eat my lunch with you and your little shadow friend. Take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror before daring to point out my flaws."

And with that, he turns heel and walks away in silence. I want to call after him and tell him to wait, but my voice is too weak to make itself heard over the volume of the crowds. All I can do is stand, watching his snowy white hair sway as he forces his way out of the tepee. I'm stunned, clueless on what I'm supposed to say or think or feel right now. My mind is busy trying to analyse what he's said, but the lingering truth won't let itself be ignored: I let him be bullied.

I can feel my gut churning as flashbacks and echoes race through my mind. The little boy that sat in the corner of the playground with a bucket tucked between his knees. He filled it with rainwater, leaves, dirt and whatever else he could find. I should have let him just play with me. I remember a kid in the grade above lobbing stones at him one day because he came in wearing lipstick and eye shadow. Why didn't I pick him up and take him to the teacher? I wish I'd had the nerve to tell the older boys not to lock him in the teacher's cupboard, rather than just standing back and laughing.

Maybe if I'd just made an effort, he wouldn't have ended up so bitter.

"Link," Zelda says, softly taking me by the arm. "What was that all about?"

"Oh," I mumble, turning my attention back to her. "Nothing… it's a long story."

"Feel like talking about it?" she asks, giving me a sympathetic smile.

I shake my head. "Nah, I'll be ok."

"I'm not sure I completely believe you…" she says, softly poking me. "But I'll let this one slide. Hey, you want to come and meet Sheik and my friend Midna?"

"Sure," I sigh, trying to put Ghirahim to the back of my mind. I can't help but feel bad about everything I did when we were younger. I never actively bullied him, but I never thought to help him out either. I still can't understand how I was so keen to call him out for the way he treats girls, but I never bothered to call out his bullies. It's like some kind of sick double standard, and I feel guilty about not having even realised.

Zelda reaches out, taking my hand in hers. Her skin feels warm and smooth as she locks her fingers into mine. A toothy grin spreads across her face as she turns away, pulling me through the crowds of people. I'm bustled and jostled around as we try to squeeze our way through. We push between the dancers, wonder all around the edges of the tepee. We check by the drinking stools, the performance deck, and even around the back where some elderly folks are sat smoking something that I'm not entirely sure is legal. Yet her friends, are nowhere in sight.

"Are you definitely sure that they're here?" I ask. "Could they have gone back to your tepee, or tried out some of the attractions?"

"I guess they could have…" she mumbles, though she can't hide the disheartened expression that falls over her features.

She takes my hand again, pulling me out of the main tepee and into the open air again. We make our way all through the covered market, searching all the stalls and shops. She then takes me round all of the festival attractions, quickly nipping into the bombchu bowling shop again just to check. She even makes a point of calling Beedle, the Rickshaw cyclist, over to check that he hasn't seen her friends. Alas, no luck.

We take a few minutes to queue up and buy ourselves fresh apple fritters and warm cinnamon spiced apple juice before carrying on our search. We wander through the knots of tents, campervans, caravans, pick-up trucks and small tepees until we finally reach one that I'm presuming to be Zelda's. She steps inside to search for her friends and grab her jacket, whilst I stand outside absent mindedly nibbling on my apple fritter. I study the waxed ink drawings over the canvas of the tepee as I wait. They're really rather impressive. There are depictions of various scenes from the legends, sketches of all the creatures of the Goddess, and phrases written in the ancient Hylian language that I can't decipher.

Zelda emerges from her tepee a few moments later, now wrapped in a pale grey cardigan, yet still alone.

"No sign of them?" I ask, finishing off the last of my fritter.

"No…" she sighs.

"Don't worry about it," I reply, taking her by the arm. "Let's go back to the main tepee. I still haven't danced all night!"

We wonder through the festival site once again, discussing life on the road. She tells me of all the various places around the kingdom of Hyrule that she's visited. She describes all the crazy characters and strangely fascinating people that she's met along the way. She talks all about her carer, Impa, and everything she's done for her. By the time the main tepee is finally in sight, the conversation has reached its end. We bother just walk in comfortable, contented silence, listening to the sounds of the festival reverberate through the night.

That is, until Zelda suddenly stops dead in her tracks. It's not until I'm a few paces ahead of her that I realise she's stopped altogether. I frown, turning back around to face her. She's staring at something, lips slightly parted in shock. Her indigo blue eyes are fixated on a point just beyond me.

I frown. "Zelda? What's up?"

"I found my friends…" she mumbles.

I turn my head to try and find who she's talking about. It's not particularly difficult to pinpoint who she means, as there are only two people sat outside the tepee. The first is a tall, muscular Sheikah boy with long blond hair that flops over his face. The second is a skinny Twili girl with long locks of flaming auburn hair. They sit together on the grass; their backs leant up against the canvas of the tepee. I can guess that at one point, they sat eating and drinking together, because two plastic cups and paper wrappers lie discarded around them.

Now, however, the activity seems to have changed. His lips are locked on hers in what appears to be an extremely heartfelt and emotional kiss. One of her hands rests against his chest and her other cups his chiselled jaw. I turn back to Zelda, chewing my lower lip as I watch her reaction. A mixture of confusion, relief, happiness and annoyance spreads over her expression in a seemingly endless cycle.

"Oh," is all my clumsy tongue can come up with.


	9. Somewhere Unfamiliar

**I'm in my final week of exams! 6 left! Exactly one week from now, it will all be over :) Phew!**

**Anyway, awesome reviewers need thanking - why? Because they're awesome! That's TheMysteriousDude, CreCra, ButterflyBabyBlue, sslamajama97, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, MasterShortPantsx3, ShadowNinja1011, zeldalover272, Saphire122, blueberryblitz19, Hanyoualchemist1, burning book, Neez, 'me' (not actually me, the guest reviwer left that name), Joyma, Franne, PrincesscharmingKnight, LeilaEditer, 8Black-star8, Guest, and DarkTayl!**

**Anyway, onwards to the story!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Nine - Somewhere Unfamiliar**

* * *

"Oh," Link mumbles, unsure of what to say.

Heck, even I'm unsure of what to say. Countless emotions are coursing through my veins as I try to digest what I'm seeing. But it's like the cold hard truth just won't sink through my skin. Link watches me, his shining cerulean eyes full of uncertainty. I want to explain it to Link; to help him understand my reaction, but my thoughts can't be verbalised. They're running amuck through my mind and I couldn't catch them even if I had a great big net.

It's not that I'm not happy for Sheik and Midna. On the contrary, my first thought when I saw them was happiness. I was so relieved that Sheik had finally told Midna how he felt. He'd only been denying his feelings for about a year now. I was so proud of him for finally getting them off his chest. But then I realised that this wasn't as picture perfect as I'd first thought it to be. Worry began to swell in my mind as I recalled Midna's words to me back in the tepee.

_"Admit it," I said. "You like him!"_

_"Oh please," she replied. "My parents would never let me go out with a Sheikah!"_

And that was when the realization kicked in. Midna's parents are, to put it lightly, traditional folk. They've always been so disappointed in her for associating herself with Sheikahs and Hylians such as Sheik and I. They've never been comfortable with Midna's friendship with us, but I dread to think of their reaction to her being romantic with a Sheikah. Midna in herself has never cared much for their old fashioned attitudes; she sees most of it as racist, in fact. But to defy her parents ruling entirely seems extreme, even for Midna.

Culturally speaking, Midna would be shunned for becoming romantically involved with a Sheikah boy. And though the Sheikah now claim the old laws to be far outdated, there are still a few elite tribe members that would hiss at a boy for so much as looking at a Twili girl. I feel so stupid for not realising it before. My mind was so clouded with how cute and adorable Sheik and Midna would be as a couple, that I forgot to even consider the double negative.

And then I went and encouraged them? What was I thinking? How could I possibly be so stupid as to not realise what would happen? This isn't going to work, not in any way shape or form. If word gets out about this, Midna will be in bigger trouble than I can even imagine. And I dread to think of what will happen to Sheik for allowing it to happen. In the eyes of the Twili, he will have brought shame on the Shard family. I can't let him be responsible for that. I need to talk to him about this.

"Umm… Zelda?" Link says. "Are you sure this is a bad thing? Earlier you sounded pretty excited about the idea of them being a couple."

I sigh, raking one clawed hand through my blond hair. "I really love them as a couple. It's just… culturally speaking, it's not acceptable for Twili and Sheikah to date."

"Ahh, I see," Link mumbles, looking down at the ground as he lazily kicks the grass beneath him. I can tell just by watching him that he feels awkward about this. Who can blame him? He doesn't even know Midna or Sheik, yet he's still being dragged into all of this. "What's that worst that could happen?" he asks.

I blow the air out through my cheeks. "I'm not sure. Midna's parents are definitely going to take it badly… they don't even like her being friends with me and Sheik. I don't even know what they're going to do, in fact I dread to think. That's not even mentioning her brother."

"Brother?"

"Oh yeah," I reply. "He's younger than us, but he does taekwondo."

"Ouch…" he breathes. "What about Sheik?"

"I'm not sure," I reply. "Impa's not particularly traditional, but some of the… older tribe members might not be happy. Sheik's certainly going to get a tarnished reputation for this."

Link takes one step closer to me, offering me a supportive hug. His body is warm through the thin fabric of my Goddess dress, though it's little consolation considering my current situation. A small part of me is tempted to march right on over to Sheik and Midna and call them out on it, though I know it's not a good idea. It would only lead to a fight, and that's the last thing I want to do right now. Besides, part of me is still happy for them; it's what they've both wanted for a long time, and frankly they deserve it. I just wish it wasn't such a risky endeavour, that it was a little simpler or that I could magically summon some perfect solution. Damnit Zellie, get your head out of the clouds. This isn't a romantic comedy, this is real life, these are real people with real thoughts and feelings.

"Zelda…" Link says quietly. I feel warmth spread around my hands as he takes them, and only then do I glance up to find his bright blue eyes watching me. His eyebrows are raised slightly; head leant forwards at a minute angle as he gives my hands a gentle squeeze. "You're over thinking this."

"Sorry," I reply, feeling myself relaxing to his calming demeanour. "I can't help it. I'm just worried for them!"

"I know you are," he says comfortingly, "but there's nothing that can be done right now. Come on, it's getting late. Let's enjoy the rest of the festival before I have to go home."

"How long have you got?" I ask as he gently drops my hands, allowing the cool night air to nibble at my fingertips.

He pulls his mobile phone from his pocket momentarily, glancing at the screen. "About an hour," he replies.

"Ok then," I smile. "What to do in an hour?"

"Let's go dancing," he grins.

"Sure!" I reply between the giggles. "But I'm a little thirsty; can we get a drink first?"

"Yup," he says. "You want me to get you some hot punch?"

I sigh. "Nah, I'm a bit sick of the stuff, got any other ideas of where we can get cheap drinks?"

"Well seeing as I'm hungry too, I think I might know a place…" he said, offering me a wink.

* * *

It took a good ten minute walk to get here. I'm a little worried; I've not been this far from the camp before. I've walked two minutes to the nearest corner shop with Sheik once, but that was just to get some bottled water and apples. I've been to places like this before, but not since I was a child. I haven't been here since I left with Impa and Sheik. Impa always told me that the food they serve here is junk, but Link insisted that everyone our age eats it.

As soon as we'd turned the corner onto the street, I saw the bright golden 'M' shining through the night. It was like some guiding beacon to Link, who led me straight down the sidewalk and into the car park. We walked right through the glass doors, which sat under a large paint box red sign that read "McDonalds." I should have been put off by the unappetizing greasy smell that greeted me as I entered.

And yet, I somehow find myself standing in line next to Link. I've never felt more foolish, stood here in my Goddess costume, surrounded by teenagers in jeans, tracksuits, and hoodies. A bunch of teenage boys are sat around a window booth, jostling each other with punches on the arm and thoroughly unattractive chortles. Girls wearing far too much foundation judge me with once swift glance up and down; their shockingly pink lips curled into displeased grimaces. I try to fight the blush staining my skin, but I know it's a lost cause.

Link and I both take a step forward as the line moves a little, before coming to a halt again. Link glances over to me, offering me a foolish grin as I spot him watching me.

"It's nice of you to choose such a high class establishment," I tease.

"Oh yes," he replies. "It's the finest in Kakariko, don't you know?"

We both laugh a little, and it causes the nerves that were bubbling in my stomach to ease a little.

"I haven't been in a McDonalds for years," I say, turning to face him.

"Really?" he asks. "I came here with Dark and Saria last weekend!"

"Mm…" I mumble. "Impa doesn't really like it here, says the food isn't really food."

Link laughs a little. "Well she's not wrong! But it tastes nice and it's really cheap, so attracts the attention of the teenage crowds, including me."

"How disappointed Impa would be in you," I joke, tutting.

"I apologise for my age," he says, resting one tanned hand on his chest. We share another small laugh, before falling into quiet silence. It's a little awkward, though somehow sweet. He brushes part of his bangs away from his eyes, turning back to face the head of the queue. We step forward another pace, now standing just behind the people currently being served. I use the waiting time to study the package orders that are displayed above the counter. None of them look particularly appetising… I decide to just order a coke.

Just a moment later, I feel a small tap on my shoulder. Surprised, I abruptly turn to see a teenage boy standing behind me. He's one of the ones that I saw earlier amongst the group, dressed in a pair of dark blue Adidas tracksuits. His tall figure leans over, a little hunched, hands in pockets. Hazel eyes glimmer as much as the tacky fake diamond earring that he wears on his left lobe. And his entire persona exudes with misplaced confidence.

"Hey toots," he says by way of greeting. "You're dressed like an angel, appropriate."

"Excuse me?" I splutter, startled by his corny excuse for a chat up line.

"Did it hurt when you fell outta heaven?" he asks, raising one eyebrow.

I feel my mouth drop open as I stare at him in startled silence. I've never had a boy approach me like this before, and in all honesty, I've no idea how to react. Is this how an 'average' teenage boy acts? Is this what it's like for girls who don't travel? In all the time I've been a traveller, I've never known a boy to take such a ridiculously played out approach to a girl. Sure, there've been guys before, but they were never as bad as this.

Luckily, Link is quick to react to the situation and save me from embarrassment. He turns too, casting his cool gaze over the boy stood in front of us. The cogs in his mind whir for a moment, before I feel his toned arm relax around my shoulders. He pulls me closer gently, giving the boy an extremely disapproving look as he balances all of his weight on one leg. I try not to look too startled by Link's reaction as we watch the boy falter.

"Sorry," Link says smoothly, "she's taken."

"S'cool bro," the boy says, holding his hands up in defeat before turning and sauntering back to the table where his friends sit. He's greeted by shouts of 'rejected!' and 'you got shot down!' Link and I turn back, preparing ourselves to order as the two girls in front of us make their way towards the exit, holding hands and sipping Fanta. My mind is still mulling over the happenings just a few moments ago as we lay our hands on the counter.

"You sure you don't want food, Zelda?" Link asks.

"No, I'm fine."

"Two cokes, one order of fries," Link tells the clerk with a warm smile.

"Coming right up," the man replies, setting to work. Once his back is turned, I glance over to Link out of the corner of my eye. I'm a little unsure of what to say, unsteady about his actions. I'm surprised, thankful, and something else that I just can't seem to pinpoint. He notices me watching him, and gives me a slightly nervous grin, looking a little confused. He turns his shoulders to face me, shuffling a little closer.

"Is something wrong?" he asks.

"I'm… taken?" I query.

"Oh…" he mutters, looking away suddenly. "I was just trying to help. I'm sorry if it crossed some sort of line."

"No!" I blurt out. "No, it's fine. I was just wondering." I reply, feigning a laugh.

"Ok," he says, seemingly satisfied with my response. A few more moments of lingering silence pass between us as we watch the clerk set to work preparing our orders. He collects paper cups, plastic lids and striped straws. Thick streams of coke pour from the serving machine while he sorts out Link's order of chips. Greasy fries are plucked from the deep fat fryer and shovelled into a small red cardboard box. Eventually, a tray of food is laid before us and Link offers the server a five rupee bill and his thanks.

"Just for reference," he says as he hands me my coke. "Are you taken?"

I gently take the drink from him, the icy coldness seeping through my skin instantaneously. "Uhh, no…" I stammer. "Are you?"

"No," he replies, shaking his head a smile plays along his lips, displaying his perfectly pearly teeth. If it wasn't for the icy drink in my grip, I'd probably be melting by now. He slips the tray onto a rack, carefully balancing his drink and fries as we make our way over to a two seater booth tucked away in the corner. I can feel all eyes in the room are on us as we push through the maze of tables over to our booth. It makes me feel a little self-conscious, causing me to straighten my dress and hair.

"So," Link exhales as he slides into his seat. "Midna and Sheik? How are you coping with that?"

"I don't know," I mutter, settling across the table from him. "I'm happy for them, really. I'm just…" I fumble for a few moments, trying to find the right word. "…concerned."

Link reaches for a small box of ketchup, pulling off the film lid. "For what it's worth, from everything you've told me about Sheik I think he can handle himself."

"I guess you're right," I sigh, stirring my drink with the rigid plastic straw. "But that's not going to stop me from worrying."

He offers me a pitiful smile, which makes me want to pinch myself in frustration. I really hate pity. I wish I hadn't whined on for so long about Sheik and Midna. I don't even know why I'm getting myself so concerned with it; it's their business! Who am I to intervene? In an attempt to distract myself, I look up to find Link dipping a fry in an extortionate amount of tomato ketchup. I can't hide my smile at watching him.

"Enough about them," I say, resting my head in my hand. "I've told you all about my past, tell me about yours!"

He swallows his mouthful, fixing me with a baffled gaze. "There's not much to tell really. I've lived in Kakariko since I was born. My dad's a lawyer, so I'm annoyingly clued up on laws and rights! Umm… I spend most of my time hanging around with Dark, playing video games… and figure skating."

"Figure skating?" I query, leaning a little closer.

"Yeah…" he says, pausing, fry halted in mid-air.

"I love figure skating!" I exclaim. "I've never been much good at it myself, but every winter there's a festival at Lake Hylia. The shores of the lake freeze over and professional skaters go out to perform there! I go every year, it's amazing!"

"Really?" he replies, suddenly seeming interested. "I've never heard of that…"

"Oh it's so beautiful!" I gush. "The skaters are so graceful and elegant, they move like magic! You should go this year… maybe even perform?"

"Please, I'm not that good," he says, looking down. "I can't even do a triple axel properly yet!"

"Okay…" I say, elongating the word. "I have no clue what that is."

He begins to explain the move to me, telling me how difficult it is to do an extra one and a half rotation. He tells me all about his coach, who apparently pushes him ridiculously hard. He begins to anecdote about his experiences at the skating rink. I listen intently as he describes various falls and injuries he's suffered from during skating practice. He even tells me about one time, doing pairs work, where he lost his balance and dropped his partner on his ice, giving her bruises all over her arm. His face is alight with each and every story that he tells me. I've only ever seen one other person this ecstatic when talking about a hobby, and that's Sheik with music. He must really love skating…

As he talks, I involuntarily reach out and grab one of his fries, dipping it in ketchup. It's only as I taste the warm salty flavour on my tongue that I realise exactly what I've done. He pauses, staring at me with an open mouth as his voice trails into silence. I'm surprised at myself, confused as to how I felt comfortable enough to take food from someone that I only met a few hours ago. I glance up, but it's impossible to read his expression.

"Sorry," I mutter. "I shouldn't be stealing your food."

"No, it's fine," he says, shaking his head to snap him from his daze. "I was just surprised… y'know? We met just a few hours ago."

"Again… I'm sorry," I repeat, feeling myself turning red.

"I really don't mind, in fact I'm flattered," he grins. "It's strange how quickly you can grow familiar with someone…"


	10. Freddie Mercury

**I AM NOT DEAD!**

**First of all, I owe you all a massive apology. I broke my one rule: Never leave more than a week between updating fanfictions. I AM SO SORRY! I never intended for it to happen! As you know, this chapter was due to be written during the last week of my exams. What I hadn't anticipated however, was that this week would be the worst. I had too many exams squashed into the very last week. I didn't have a day to myself, I was constantly either sitting exams or revising. When I did finally get time to myself, I was too exhausted to write. I tried, believe me I tried, but everything I wrote made me want to claw my own eyes out - so in the end I just deleted the whole file and started over. Then it took ages to hear back from my beta who has also had exams. I know all of that is little consolation to you, my most faithful readers, but I really and sorry, and it means the world to me that you're still reading!**

**Anyway, it's time to thank the lovely people who left reviews. That's TheMysteriousDude, ButterflyBabyBlue, sslamajama97, PrincesscharmingKnight, burning book, CreCra, Franne, ShadowNinja1011, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, Duskingdawn, Hanyoualchemist1, MasterShortPantsx3, zeldalover272, Neez, Guest, Bleachshowlover1, DarkTayl, Concerned, and Diwieo!**

**Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Ten - Freddie Mercury**

* * *

"Come on, Link! Push!"

"I'm trying!" I wheeze as I slide to a halt against the barrier of the skating rink. My heart hammers hard against my rib cage as I wipe the sweat from my brow. Numb fingers fumble to open the cap of the bottle resting on top of the barrier. The cheap plastic of the bottle crackles as I squeeze the icy liquid into my mouth. The cooling sensation immediately sets over my skin, allowing me to let out a sigh of relief.

"What's going on with you today?" Coach asks, leaning up against the barrier.

"I don't know…" I groan, running my hands through my hair.

"Ok," he sighs. "Do a lap of the rink to get up your momentum then go for the triple axel again."

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat and pushing myself away from the barrier. I summon what little energy I have left in my aching muscles to set myself into motion once again. The metal blades of my skates slice the solid ice, leaving little grooves behind me like a trail mapping out my path. As I pick up speed, the cool air begins to bite against my cheeks. I lean into the curve of the rink, propelling myself to move even faster.

I peak the curve and race along the far side of the rink, nearing the second curve and wheeling around until I'm moving parallel to the barrier. Coach watches me with a nervous expression on his face. He taps the lidded tip of his pen against his clipboard as he chews on his lip. I need to get this right; I can't let him down again. I take a few short, sharp breaths through my nostrils as I prepare myself to leap.

Just as I'm coiling my torso to throw myself into the jump, a new song begins to play through the speaker system. My body is paused in mid-air, poised to spin, but my attention has all but vanished now. Instead of focusing on the jump, my ears are straining trying to make sense of the soft, cheerful, upbeat chords that ring through the skating rink. It's only as the artist starts to sing that the realisation dawns on me… Jason Mraz. As my body whirls around and around, one thought is slipping through my mind: You've got to be kidding me.

And just like that, I've completely lost my focus on the triple axel. My stomach flips as I'm pulled back downwards, but I've still got a full turn to make… My feet, still crossed for the spin, crash into the ice with blunt force and speed. I feel my legs crumple beneath me as I'm forced down onto the rock hard surface. My chest slams onto the ground and my limp body is propelled backwards by the momentum. It's only as my back knocks into the barrier that I'm yanked back into reality.

"Link!" Coach calls. "Link!"

He skates over to me, turning heel to bring himself to an immediate stop in front of me. Shards of ice kicked up in his abrupt halt scatter over me as I open my eyes again. My view is horizontal, and it throws me off for a moment. Before I have the time to try and suss out where I am, I feel Coach wrap his large hands around my forearms and haul me to my feet. He wraps one strong arm around my lower back and begins skating, pulling me towards the little exit gate.

Moments later, I'm pushed down onto one of the uncomfortable plastic benches that surround the rink. When the local ice hockey team play, all the spectators sit around here cheering for their favourite team. They're also used whenever the figure skating directors put together a show… but I only really perform here once a year, unless we're doing half time performances for the hockey teams.

Coach begins checking each of my limbs, making sure that nothing is broken or suffering from muscle damage. He doesn't do this often, only when the fall is a bad one. I know it must have looked pretty rough, but I think that most of the impact was taken by the wall. I can feel bruises beginning to surface on my knees, chest and shoulders, but it doesn't seem like the damage is any worse than that. Coach comes to a stop, delivering me a nod before sitting himself next to me on the bench.

"What is going on with you today?" he asks.

"I'm sorry coach," I say.

"I'm being serious, Link," he insists. "Talk to me. You were going great until half way through that move when you just lost it! Is something bothering you?"

"I don't think so," I mumble, rubbing my bruised knees.

"Really?" Coach says, squinting at me. "Clearly your mind isn't on the skating, so something must be distracting you. Come on, tell me."

Yes Coach, something is actually on my mind. Last night, I met someone amazing. She somehow managed to take me away from my boring, bog standard, hum drum life and reminded me that it's ok to go out and actually live. She taught me that it's ok to try something new once in a while – that I actually might enjoy myself. And, for a while, she made me forget about Ghirahim, my dad, Saria and Dark. And now, well now I can't get her out of my head.

"Link," Coach says, giving me a serious look.

"There's… kind of this girl," I mumble.

Coach throws his head back, letting out a knowing laugh. "Of course there's a girl, there's always a girl."

"N- No! It's not like that!" I insist. "I only met her yesterday. It's just that she seems so…" I fumble as I try to come up with the right word, "…different. And now I- I can't stop thinking about her!"

"Tell me about her," Coach says, leaning back against the bench behind us. "What's she like?"

I laugh a little, closing my eyes and glancing down at my feet. "She's staying at the traveller camp in town. She just so well lived and exotic! She's visited all these places, and knows all these different people. She just… she's… she's special."

"Does she know that you're a figure skater?"

I grin. "Yeah, she loves figure skating, thinks it's beautiful."

Coach smiles, clapping me on my sore back. "There's your way in then!"

I frown. "Huh?"

"She likes figure skating… you're a figure skater! So the way I see it: you nail the triple axel, you get the girl."

I can't help but laugh as his clichéd move to try and bring it back to figure skating. But I think he's got it wrong. I don't know if that's the reason why Zelda's on my mind; I don't know if I like her in that way. How could I? I've only known her for a day. But I do have a feeling that she might be someone special. There's just something about her, I feel like knowing her might be the start of something. Who knows how long she'll spend here? Or how much I'll see her? But sometimes, I feel that you just know if someone's important. I feel like she's about to dive into my life, grab the steering wheel, and turn my world in a whole new direction.

"Come on," Coach says, patting me on the back. "Enough chatting, get back on that ice and show me a triple axel. And try not to fall over this time!"

* * *

_"Don't stop me now! I'm having such a good time. I'm having a ball. Don't stop me now! If you wanna have a good time, just GIVE ME A CALL! Don't stop me cos I'm having a good time. Don't stop me yeah I'm having a good time. Don't stop me; I never wanna stop at aaaallllllllllllllllll…"_

I come to a halt at the top of the brick wall surrounding the traveller camp. My foot rests on a slightly raised piece of rock. One arm is extended, pointed out towards the sky, and my other is curled close to my mouth in a mimic of a microphone. I'm going for a fully-fledged-all-out- don't-stop-me-now Freddie Mercury pose. There's nothing like a bit of Queen to get me in a good mood on my way home from figure skating practise.

From behind me, I hear the conspicuous sound of a very distinctive giggle. I feel my cheeks flush as I snap one eye open. Cringing, I lower my arms to my sides and straighten out my torso. As I slowly turn, I find a tall Twili girl stood behind me. Her skin is a pale shade of blue and her heart shaped face is framed by waves of hair the same colour as my cheeks. Another laugh curls at her dark lips as she watches me sheepishly step down from the wall.

"I'm-" I begin.

"Freddie Mercury, I'm presuming?" she quips. "I'm Midna."

I grin as I step closer to her, the realisation setting over me. "Oh! You're the Midna who's friends with Zelda, right?"

"Ahh…" she smiles. "You're the one she was with last night!" We both laugh as we meet in a handshake. "Link, right?" she asks.

I nod. "It's nice to finally meet you. Zelda told me so much about you last night."

"I've heard lots about you too," she says. "In all honesty, she hasn't actually shut up about you since she woke up."

I know I can't fight the blush that deepens on my cheeks. She laughs a little at my reaction, offering me her arm.

"Have you got time?" she asks. "I know Zelda would love to see you."

I quickly shrug my skating kit onto my other shoulder as I take her arm. "How could I resist?"

She steers me around the wall and onto the soft green grass of the traveller camp. We talk about Zelda as we go. I fill Midna in on everything that she told me last night, carefully leaving the whole situation with the Sheikah boy out of conversation. Somehow, I'm finding Midna to be exactly how Zelda described her. She's just as lively, cheeky, and outgoing as I'd imagined her. And now I'm curious to meet this Sheik boy too.

As we walk, I can't help but notice how different the camp looks compared to last night. The long strings of fairy lights that lit the paths yesterday now hang dead and lame from their posts. Food stalls and arcade games that were previously packed with people are now as empty as a secondary school in the summer holidays. Young children run around barefoot, collecting empty plastic cups and loading them into bin bags. Their tanned, scrawny limbs are bare in the early afternoon light. One particularly energetic little boy is jumping over and over an abandoned guitar in his shorts and off-white t-shirt. The image makes me smile.

A small chill floods my skin as we step out of the sunshine and into the shadow of the large tepee. Now, in the bright light of day, the ink drawings on the canvas of the tepee are clearer to see. I can pick out the intricate tribal tattoos on the skin of each Goron. The scales of the Zora warriors are each individual, overlapping and layering each other. Even the spiritual fairies have beautiful, decorated ivy crawling over their skin.

"Pretty cool, eh?" Midna says, noticing me staring at the inking. "Sheik, Zelda and Impa painted them on one summer."

"Wow…" I breathe, leaning closer. "These are really good."

"Yeah," she replies. She puts her hands behind her back and leans up against a thick, wooden tepee pole. "Impa has a real knack for canvas painting."

"She sounds pretty cool," I muse. "I'd like to meet her some time."

"Well, she's right inside," Midna says. She carefully steps to the left, reaching out one pale, slender arm to pull back the canvas doorway. I glance at her for a second, hesitant. She offers me an encouraging nod, leading me to make my first step into the tepee.

Warmth coats me entirely as I step inside. Everything within the tepee is tainted with a sepia tinge from the sunlight fighting to break through the thick canvas. Strange, obscure shadows are cast from the waxed ink that's etched on the walls of the tepee. It makes it look like Remlits, Kikwis and Ordon goats are running around inside. They scamper up and down the bags that hang from rafters on thick ropes. Their little shadows litter the wooden privacy partition and patchwork rugs that Zelda and an unidentified woman are sitting on. Their tanned skin is covered with the illustrations that look like tattoos. Zelda turns slowly, offering me a bright smile.

"Link!" She beams. "I wasn't expecting to see you!"

"I bumped into Midna and well, we got talking," I reply.

Midna smirks. "Yeah, your little friend here is a regular Freddie Mercury!"

Before Zelda can say anything in reply, or I start to furiously blush again, a deep, loud voice interrupts us. "Ahh, so you're the famous Link! It's good to meet you." I glance upwards in search of the speaker. My eyes scan the ceiling, only to find a tall, muscular Sheikah boy stood atop a long wooden ladder. His impossibly toned and tanned arms are busy trying to take down the fairy lights fitted to the ceiling of the tepee. I swallow hard, trying hard not to be put off by his muscular figure, bright red eyes and lopsided grin. He's dressed in a short sleeved navy top, with dark denim shorts and black flip flops. His shirt hugs his sick pack in a most flattering fashion, and it kind of makes me feel inferior in comparison to this poster boy. He slowly begins to clamber down the ladder, calf muscles flexing as he goes. He takes a few paces, standing just in front of me and offering me an olive-skinned hand to shake.

"I'm Sheik," he says. "Zelda's told me loads about you."

"Oh, Sheik…" I say. "I've heard loads about you too."

"Uh-oh!" he jokes, turning and giving Zelda a grin.

"Oh lay off Sheik," she says, poking her tongue out at him. "Link, come and sit with me and Impa! You can help us make bracelets!"

I turn to study the woman who I presume must be Impa. She sits on the patchwork rug with Zelda, strings of leather and cotton in her hands. Her nimble fingers are working, plaiting the threads together to make a beautiful bracelet. She's tall, skinny, with bony limbs that look like they could snap at the slightest touch. She's fairly young, considering she's got a son of Sheik's age, but her face bears great wisdom. A teardrop tattoo presents itself on her right cheek, though I think it's only a tanning tattoo, rather than permanent. Her tight lips break into a small smile as she shuffles aside, making room for me on the rug.

Zelda grins eagerly, patting the empty space. She's not wearing her Goddess dress today, though I can see it folded over the edge of the privacy partition. Instead, she's clad in a long red skirt made of a thin floaty material and a white vest top. All along her arms she wears bracelets, presumably ones that she and Impa have made. On her feet, she dons sandals that look like they're been woven from rough pieces of string, with orange beads fixed on the straps. Her hair, instead off falling loose around her shoulders, is fixed in a long plait behind her head, again, with beads woven into it. It looks kind of cute…

"Uhh… sure!" I grin. "Why not?"

* * *

"Dad, I'm home," I call out as I click the front door shut. I shrug my skating kit off of my shoulder and throw it down at the foot of the stair case. I'm just kicking my sneakers off, when I hear the sound of loud laughter coming from the kitchen.

"Link! Get in here!" Dad calls.

I frown, pausing for a moment to ponder my thoughts before making my way over towards the kitchen. The smell of beer hits me as soon as I step through the door. Three men are sat at my kitchen table. All of them are dressed in high quality black suits and silky ties. Smoke curls up from the thick, chunky cigars in their gold ringed fingers. The first is my father, the second a man I recognise from Dad's law firm, and the third I don't think I've ever met. All three are clinking brown bottles together and laughing loudly.

"So this is your son?" the stranger asks.

"Yup," Dad smiles. "This is my boy, Link! Why're you so late home from practice?" he asks, pressing his cigar between his lips.

"Oh, I stopped off to hang out with some friends," I say, purposefully not being too specific.

Dad nods, before turning to the other men. "Link, this is Kafei and Talo; they're colleagues of mine and we are celebrating! We just won a case against a national bank, and we got a lot of money for it! So we're knocking back cigars and beer. You want one?"

I frown. "Dad, I'm sixteen."

He rolls his eyes and turns to Talo. "This one's a goody goody," he says, hooking his thumb towards me.

My heart plummets. "Dad, I'm not-"

"So what's the practice for?" Kafei asks, taking a gulp of beer.

"Oh, I'm a figure skater," I say.

A chorus of chuckles and chortles break out from Dad and his colleagues, causing my heart to drop like a stone right into my shoes. I turn away, ignoring the comments about ballet and fairies and faggots. I tell myself that they're falling on deaf ears as I push back into the hallway. My numb feet begin to climb the stairs, though the smell of booze and cigar smoke cling to my clothes. I force myself to believe that they just don't get it.

A few minutes later, my dead weight collapses on my bed in clean clothes and slippers. A heavy sigh runs along my windpipe, but it's muffled as I press my face into the warmth of my pillow. I inhale the scent of cheap detergent and fabric softener. Dad never did care much for looking after the laundry. I take another deep breath and push myself over onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. As I raise my arm to run my fingers through my hair, my eyes catch on the plaited leather bracelet on my wrist. Zelda picked it out, said she thought it would suit me.

And just like that, I realise that I sure as hell can't give up now.

* * *

**I can only apologise again... and thank you for sticking with me!**


	11. The Wrong Side of History

**I'm back again, and actually on time today! This week, I've had my ball (our version of prom) and my leavers day, which means I'm not officially done with school and out for summer! *sigh of relief***

**Anyway, awesome reviews deserve thanks! So lots of love and hugs go to becausexreasons, ButterflyBabyBlue, ShadowNinja1011, CreCra, Hanyoualchemist1, DestinyPrincess289, TheViolaBuddy, zeldalover272, TheMysteriousDude, MasterShortPantsx3, DarkTayl, ScootinJackMcCue, Neez, Joyma, Franne, LeilaEditer, PrincesscharmingKnight, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, burningbook, and sslamajama97!**

**Thanks you Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

**No apologies for the Shinky bromance to come in this chapter - these two needed some bonding time!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Eleven - The Wrong Side of History**

* * *

"Hey, have you heard that Nintendo are developing a new Legendary Hero game?" I ask as Dark, Saria and I amble lazily into town.

Late springs sunshine beats down on this warm Sunday morning. Once again, Dark has invited Saria to our Sunday skate, but I was in too much of a good mood to complain about it. Last night, I found a picture slipped into the pocket of my zip up hoodie. It was one that Zelda had taken on her disposable camera. She must have gone into town and gotten it printed at boots. On the back, scrawled in black ink was a sweet, simple message.

"Hey Link. The last few days have been so much fun. Thanks for being such good company! Zelda xx"

So yeah, I'm not too proud to say that the little picture has put me in a good mood. And no, I haven't told Dark about it yet, and I don't plan to either. I know he'll only tease me about how I apparently like her and how I should ask her out. Ever since he got together with Saria, he's convinced that I should find someone, no matter what I say to him. So I'm glad that he doesn't know about how much time I've been spending with Zelda; he'd never let it go. He doesn't seem to realise that a guy and a girl can be just good friends.

"No way!" Dark gasps.

"Yup," I reply. "They're basing it off of the legend of the Skyward Sword."

"Oh my Goddess!" he exclaims. "That sounds AWESOME!"

"I know!" I gush. "AND you get to fight the Demon King!"

"AWESOME!"

"AND THE DEMON LORD!"

"AWESOME!"

Our hands meet in an ecstatic and energetic high-five. It's so strong that it leaves the skin on my palm red raw and tingling. Dark and I somehow find ourselves lost in a messy muddle of clothes and arms by way of a manly hug. His large hands pat me companionably on the back as he squeezes the very air out of my lungs. Happy laughter rings through the air, and it's needless to say that he's just as excited as I am about this new game.

"Man you two are such fanboys," Saria says through her giggles.

"Oh come on…" Dark reasons. "If you just played the games you'd see how awesome they are and you could fanboy along with us!"

"Fanboy?"

"Fan…girl?" Dark muses.

But their giggled conversation fades to simple background noise as I turn my attention away from them. Dark and Saria have pretty much the same conversation every time video games are mentioned. He spends a good half hour trying to convince her to play one, and she just laughs and giggles and subtly avoids making any promises. After the fourth time I'd heard this repetitive chat, I started learning to amuse myself.

Slowly, I cast my gaze around the quiet street. Small independent businesses run all along the left hand side. I can see a hairdresser, a post office, a bakery, and numerous little independent shops. Each one is painted a different pastel colour, creating a somewhat beach-style effect, despite the fact that we live nowhere near the coast. In the window of a little shop called "Beadles Toy Box," I can see young children sat on the back of a wooden rocking horse. They look like they're having the time of their lives.

Then just moments later, from the far end of the street a small commotion erupts. The dark green doorway to a little grocery shop is thrown open. I watch in attentive silence, a frown seeping over my brow as a young man is shoved forcefully through the shop doorway. He lands on his hands and knees with a jolt, just as the shop doorway is slammed shut behind him. There are a few moments of stillness, where he silently sits back on the curb, not saying nor doing anything. Dark and Saria are nattering obliviously behind me, but I just can't take my eyes off that boy.

Slowly, unsteadily, he gets to his feet. Even from here I can see that his knees are skinned, as are the palms of his hands, though neither graze appears to be bleeding. He takes a few moments to brush the worst of the dust off of his hands and knees and push his hair back into place. Then, he turns and begins to walk up the street in my direction. Just like that, he's acting as if nothing happened. Like he wasn't just kicked out of a shop and thrown to the curb. His face is perfectly composed, though I can see a slight tinge of annoyance behind his bright red eyes.

…Red eyes?

"Sheik?" I call out.

His gaze snaps upwards, and his dark pupils hone in on me. He smiles as he realizes who I am, and begins to pick up the pace towards me. I offer him a small wave, then decide to walk too, meeting him in the middle.

"Link!" he says. "I wasn't expecting to see you here!"

"I could say the same thing to you," I reply. "I didn't think you left the camp?"

"I just needed to get some groceries. But, uhh…" he falters for a few moments, unsure of how to finish his sentence.

"Yeah," I say, feeling the mood drop. "I saw… what happened back there?"

He glances downwards as he lets out a heavy sigh. "It was just a misunderstanding…"

I frown. "What kind of misunderstanding?"

Sheik closes his eyes for a few moments, before taking a deep breath. "I was just doing some shopping for Mum. I got some apples, a six pack of bottled water and some matches. I hadn't thought to pick up a basket, and I didn't have enough hands so I put the matches into my pocket. The shopkeeper saw, he accused me of trying to steal them and… well, you know the rest."

I can see the uncomfortable way that he shifts his weight from foot to foot. Embarrassed red eyes glance downwards, trying to pull focus away from the awkward topic at hand. He's curling his toes in his black foam flip flops, and watching his tanned feet like they're the most interesting things in the world. Yet, none of that can distract from the sinking feeling in the bottom of my gut. He was kicked out of that shop not because he was putting something in his pocket, but because the shopkeeper had judged him as a criminal before he even picked anything up. He saw the boy, saw the flip flops and the ripped shorts and the leather bracelets. He saw his slightly dirtied hands, and heard the accent on his tongue – and realized that he was a traveller. That was all he needed to know.

Sheik's jaw drops a little, seeing the expression pass across my face. "L- Link," he stammers. "You don't need to-"

"Where's your money?" I hiss.

"What?"

"Your money, Sheik! Give it to me!"

He delves into his pocket and brings out a small drawstring bag made of a dark red material. Black strings are woven through the top and pulled shut tight. The rupee gems within click against each other as he drops the bag into my palm.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"It was apples, water, and matches, right?" I ask.

"Yeah… Link, you really don't have to do this."

"It's fine!" I insist, striding confidently past him and making my way down the street towards the green front of that little corner shop. Sometimes, just sometimes, the world really irritates me. People can be so judgmental and it really eats me up. After everything the other day with my Dad's co-workers, I think I'm at boiling point when it comes to judgments. Sheik and Zelda are nice, they're good people. I've only known them for a short while and even I can see that. So what gives this shop keeper the right to toss Sheik out like that?

I push one hand against the glass of the shop door and force it open. The loud tingle of a bell announces my arrival as I step into the stuffy warmth. The smell of cheap candy and the hum of the freezers are evident from the moment I step through the door. It's not a big shop, in fact, it's rather small. Two shelves span almost the length of the room. One is stocked with cleaning products, toiletries and various household items. The other holds fresh fruit and vegetables along with canned goods and packets of snacks. Chest freezers and refrigerators line the back wall with the goods that need to be kept cool and a single check out desk stands at the front by the door.

I make sure to pick up one of the dark green plastic baskets that are stacked up to the left of the door. I don't want a repeat of what happened with Sheik – though I highly doubt that would happen considering the fact that I look nothing like a traveller. I slowly begin to make my way around the shop, my shoes tapping against the cheap lino tiles. As I collect the items Sheik said he wanted, I allow myself to steal a glance at the shop keeper. He's past middle aged, but not quite elderly, with a large gut that stretches his red V-neck sweater vest. Thin rimmed silver spectacles sit on his nose, and his hair is a pale grey color because of his age. Half of his scalp is actually bald, though he's combed what's left of his hair over in an attempt to hide his baldness – it hasn't worked.

As I drop the last item, the box of matches, into my basket he turns to me and offers me a swift nod. His glasses slip a little down his face, forcing him to hitch them back up again by wrinkling his nose. He doesn't look like a particularly rude or judgmental person. But you can't trust that, it would be incredibly ironic if I did. So instead, I decide to make my way over to him and attempt to strike up a conversation while I pay.

"Quiet day?" I ask, laying the basket down on the counter and handing him each item.

"Oh yes," he says, his voice a little hoarse. "Well, apart from just a moment ago."

"Oh?" I query, playing curious. "How do you mean?"

He huffs loudly as he puts the matches into a plastic bag. "A boy came in here, a Sheikah. He was one of those crusty kids from the gypsy camp down the road. I knew he looked dodgy from the moment he walked in, and sure enough that little tyke was shoving stuff in his pockets – trying to steal from me!"

I pause as I slip the rupees across the counter towards him. "What did you do?"

"What else could I do?" he replies. "I kicked him out! I'm not having thieves lingering in my shop. You know, I told the council it was a bad idea when they first said about this bloomin' festival. I said that no good could come from having crusty kids running around in the town but they just wouldn't listen!"

"Isn't that the worst?" I say, nodding elaborately.

"Exactly," he says, completely missing my sarcasm. "I'm glad the youth of today still hold some good values. There should be more kids like you, boy."

"I couldn't agree with you more," I grin, stifling my own laughter. The shop keeper hands me my change, a receipt and the plastic bag with Sheik's shopping in it. "Have a good day now!" I say.

"You too," he replies. "And be careful out there! You don't want to get caught in a fight with a gypsy!"

I stare at him in silence for a few moments, baffled. "I'll bear that in mind," I say, wondering if it's physically possible to sound any less sincere.

And with that, I turn and make my way over to the door of the little corner shop. Sheik is waiting for me as I make my way outside. He's leant up against the wall of the shop, with his arms crossed protectively over his chest. As he sees me approaching with the bag full of groceries, he offers me a crooked smile.

"Thanks," he says. "You really didn't have to do that."

"No worries," I reply. "Guys like him just get to me, you didn't deserve that."

"Don't let them get you down," he says. His voice sounds light hearted, but there's an underlying tone of definite seriousness to what he says. "If you let them in, they win."

I pause for a moment, allowing the silence to pass between us like a soft breeze. "So what do you do?" I ask eventually.

"Walk away. What else is there to do? Ranting and raging won't get you anywhere; it certainly won't change their minds. If anything, it just gives us a worse reputation. So it's easier just to let it lie. After all, they're on the wrong side of history."

"The wrong side of history?" I query.

"Think about it," he says, sidling a little closer. "The Gerudo used to be treated like they were worth nothing. They couldn't get jobs, they couldn't get houses, and they used to get spat at on the streets! But nowadays, if people discriminate against Gerudo, they're labelled as racist and they lose their credibility. The same thing happened with women, and I like to think that someday it will happen with travellers."

I glance up at him for a moment, taking in the calm, composed expression he wears. "I like how you think so positively," I saw quietly.

"It's not thinking positively, it's just being observant! History always follows patterns, Link. If people get scared of something, they rally against it. But eventually they'll come to realize that if you turn out the lights… we all sound the same in the dark. Things are already changing, Link! Shadows are gaining higher positions in society, more and more provinces are legalizing gay marriage, and more people are accepting traveller culture. Trust me, a few decades from now people will be looking back at the ancestors, and they'll be ashamed that they opposed minorities."

A small grin tugs at my lips. "You sure know how to make lemonade, huh?"

"You know it!" he quips.

We laugh a little, but it fades away and our conversation meets a lull. I glance back over to Dark and Saria. They're still in their heated debate about video games, though Saria's now taken to giggling at Dark's serious take on the matter. Even just watching them now, I feel so cut off from them. My excitable fanboy conversation with Dark about the new Nintendo game seems like it happened so long ago…

It's becoming harder and harder to deny the fact that I'm losing my best friend.

"Hey Sheik…" I say. "Me and my friends are going ice skating. Do you want to come with us?"

* * *

"And there he goes!" I laugh as Sheik falls smack onto his ass. He only took one step onto the ice, and he dropped like a fly. I try my best to fight the laugh forcing its way through my lips as he scrabbles at the barrier to try and get to his feet. He reminds me so much of me at five years old – a messy collection of uncoordinated limbs. It's such a strange contrast considering how collected and effortlessly suave Sheik is the rest of the time.

"Don't feel bad," Dark consoles. "It takes a while to get used to."

"No kidding…" Sheik grunts as he tries his best to claw himself to his feet.

"Come here," I chortle as I wrap my hands around his forearms and help him to climb to his feet. He clings to me as he straightens up, the tips of his fingers turning yellow where he grips my arms so tightly. Even as he tries to take a couple of steps, he slithers in the most uncontrollable fashion. All his weight is pushed onto me as I help him collect himself.

"Think you can do a lap of the rink?" I ask.

"Not without getting some serious bruising on my backside…" he mumbles.

I chuckle quietly. "Do you want to hold my hand?"

"Please!" he exclaims as he almost slips over again.

I take his comparatively large hand in mine and slowly start to skate. It takes him a good ten minutes, but he eventually begins to get the hang of moving on the ice. For the first few minutes I have to practically drag him along the ice to get him to move, and his strength almost breaks my knuckles when he grips my hand. But he begins to form his own rhythm, and eventually I manage to get him moving at a reasonable speed around the rink. By this time, Dark and Saria have bored of teaching, and have skated off together to be alone.

"By the way…" he says as I pull him around the rounded edge of the rink. "Zelda still won't shut up about you."

I grin. "I'm flattered!"

We skate for a few more moments in quiet happiness. Occasionally I give him pointers to help him streamline himself, and he falls over a couple of times, but I think he's learning. As he lands on his ass for the seventh time today, I help him to pull himself to his feet.

"Zelda says she loves figure skating…" I say as he takes my hand again. "But I take it that neither of you actually do it?"

"Nah," he says. "We just watch the show at Lake Hylia every year."

"Mm-hmm…" I nod, thinking to myself. "I'm curious, are you legally her brother or not?"

He shoots me a confused glance. "No… why would I be her brother?"

"Oh…" I say as we slither to a halt. "I just thought… well… when parents choose guardians; the guardians sometimes adopt the child. If Impa had adopted Zelda, you'd legally be brother and sister."

Sheik narrows his bright red eyes a little, shooting me a weary glance. "Zelda's parents didn't choose mum to be her guardian…?"

A numb sensation sets over me as I stare at him in silence. "But Zelda said…"

"What did Zelda say exactly?"


	12. Thunderstorm

**Hiya guys, Nayru here. I'm sorry if this chapter's not quite up to spec, I've been going through a bit of a hard time of late... I won't bore you with the details. But I really wanted to get this chapter out because I hate to keep you guys waiting. I do, however, apologize if it's not up to standard.**

**Anyway, reviewers are brilliant and should be thanked. So, lots of love goes out to Squeeb100, ButterflyBabyBlue, ShadowNinja1011, The Supreme, CreCra, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, MasterShortPantsx3, zeldalover272, sslamajama97, Hanyoualchemist1, Franne, Naomi Fudo, TheMysteriousDude, PrincesscharmingKnight, writerluber, DarkTayl, SxDsX, Neez, Link's 2nd wife, burning book, H3R0 0f T1M3 72296, Fangirl1017, and Joyma.**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Twelve - Thunderstorm**

* * *

_**Sheik's POV:**_

By the time I reach the traveller camp, the skies have opened and drizzle is beginning to fall over the land. It leaves little drops of cold dew on the grass that glimmers in the light that pushes through the dense white clouds. It's the kind of rain that doesn't look like a problem; you think you can sneak through it. Yet you can't seem to walk more than ten paces without getting soaked through to your very bones. A shiver runs down my spine as another icy droplet of water snakes down the back of my shirt.

I sniff heavily, trying to stop my nose from running in this cold, damp weather. It's a strange contrast to the weather over the last few weeks. Warm sunny days spent dancing around in the large tepee seem like distant memory now as I watch five big burly men pulling out the wooden poles and gathering up the fabric. Already, the camp is much less crowded than it has been previously. Family tents and campervans have been cleared – I guess the weather encouraged some people to set off early. But not us, we're not leaving until tomorrow evening.

"Hey Sheik!" comes a distinctive voice from my right. I turn my head sharply, to find a black Land Rover trundling over the already soggy soil. As it draws closer to me, the driver side window is pushed open to reveal Ardaia sat at the wheel. His muscular arm is wrapped around Rynae, who appears to be the one controlling the gears of the large vehicle. They're both grinning, with their colourful eyes sparkling.

"Are you heading off early?" I ask, burying my hands in my pockets.

"Yeah," Ardaia says, his thin lips pulled into a lopsided smile. "We've got a wine convention up in the Zora domain that we do not want to miss!"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes a little; it's so typical of them. Instead, I opt for a cheery departure. "Take care now, ok?" I say.

"Watch yourself!" Rynae grins. "Don't be a stranger now!"

"I won't," I reply. "Oh, and by the way, when you guys do finally announce your unspoken love – I expect a wedding invitation."

Rynae shakes his head a little, laughing, while Ardaia offers me a two finger goodbye. And with that, the gears are revved up and the two of them drive off towards the exit of the land, throwing up little chunks of earth as they go. I can't help but notice how I didn't hear a no! Crates of wine bottles jangle in the back of the vehicle, which I can hear as they whizz off down the road with the rain lashing at their windscreen. Ok... enough delaying; it's time to talk to Zelda.

I turn and make my way over to the tepee, almost running so that I don't give myself time to change my mind. I really need to talk to her about this because I'm honestly rather confused. She told Link that her parents picked my mum to be her chosen guardian? Neither mum nor I have ever even met Zelda's parents, let alone been close enough with them for something like that. I just don't understand why she told him that, but I intend to find out.

"Hey, Zelda," I say as soon as I duck into the tepee and out of the rain. "You got something you want to tell me?"

"Huh?" she queries, turning to shoot me a quick glance. Her indigo eyes scan over my soaked clothes, dripping hair and damp skin, though she doesn't bother to ask me what happened. She must know that it's raining because of the way the raindrops ricochet against the canvas of the tepee. She offers me a sympathetic smile, before returning to what she was doing. Slowly, carefully, she puts each one of mums healing crystals into little bags made of bubble wrap before setting them down in a small wooden box.

"Sheik, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," she says casually, brushing her long golden hair behind her ear.

"Oh really?" I ask, making my way over to the wooden chest that sits against the back wall of the tepee. I yank open the lid and rummage through until I find a towel and a dry change of clothes for myself. I then rip off my sodden shirt and dump it into the box of clothes that mum's taking to the laundry later.

Zelda comes to a pause, one hand holding a topaz crystal that dangles from her forefinger on a string. Her other hand is resting on her hip, and her head is tilted in an inquisitive manner.

"Sheik," she says. "If you've got something to say, just come out and say it!"

I sigh as I make my way behind the privacy partition and begin to pull off my damp shorts and dry off. "Fine... I was with Link and his friends earlier. They took me ice skating and... well, Link and I got talking."

"Uh huh..." she mumbles, sounding pre occupied as I pull on my cargo trousers. I quickly yank a shirt over my head as I make my way back around the partition, pausing to lean up against its wooden edge.

"He told me something about you, something that wasn't true."

She comes to a stop, turning to meet my gaze. Her lips are slightly parted, eyes blinking slowly. "Wait..." she mumbles, putting the rose quartz into the little wooden box. "Are you saying he lied to you?"

"No," I reply, stepping a little closer. "I'm saying you lied to him."

She stares at me, unresponsive for a few seconds until she quickly snaps back to attention. She laughs nervously. "Sheik, I think you must be mistaken..."

"Oh would you cut it out, Zelda? I've lived with you for eight years. You think I don't know when you're lying?"

A look of determination sets over her face and she turns away, marching to the other side of the tepee. "I'm not talking about this."

"Oh we are having this discussion!" I insist. "Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't lie to him."

"I didn't..." she insists.

"LOOK AT ME!"

"I'M SORRY, OK?" she snaps. "I never meant to do it! I was with him and his friends... and we were talking about travelling and I said I started after I'd lost my parents..." By now she's snivelling, with little tears welling in her big indigo eyes. "And they started asking all these questions... and I just couldn't bring myself to tell them the truth!"

"Why the hell not?!" I exclaim, resisting the temptation to feel sorry for her because of her little sniffles.

"They all seemed so sophisticated and comfortable! It's like they've got it all sorted about and... I just... I didn't want them to judge me!"

"They're nice people, Zelda. They don't judge."

"My parents were screw ups, Sheik," She spits. "What if Link and the others thought I'd end up like them?"

"Then they wouldn't be worth making friends with! I just... I can't believe you of all people would do that!"

I turn to look at her again. Her face has turned bright red and her cheeks are littered with tear trails. Her shoulders are shaking from the sobs, and her hair is pushed back from her face implying that she's ran her fingers through it. I set my jaw, and let out a heavy sigh as I step right in front of her, crossing my arms.

"Tell me the lie," I say.

"What?"

"Tell me exactly what you said to Link and the others." She gives me a pleading look, but I just shake my head. "I'm waiting."

* * *

"How the hell could you think that was ok?" I ask.

We now sit together on the long grass. Rain, heavier than before, is persistently drumming on the tepee around us, but it's little distraction to what's happening here. Zelda sits in front of me, legs crossed in her brown trousers. She plays with her toes as she speaks, staring intently at them as her mouth fails to form decipherable speech. Her large indigo eyes, now dry, rarely blink as her breathing levels out. She's beginning to calm down a little.

"I never meant for it to happen, it just did. And by the time I realised what I'd done, it was too late to take it back... so I just had to run with it," she says.

I sigh, leaning back a little. I think I'm beginning to understand her motives: she didn't want to be prematurely judged by Link and his friends. But that doesn't make what she did ok. She doesn't seem to realise that people who judge you, people who jump to these pathetic conclusions aren't worth wasting time, energy, or even your breath on. And the worst part is that I have no idea how to show her that. I take another deep breath and reach out for her hand.

"Zelda," I begin. "You're like a sister to me, and as much as I've always wanted to play the protective older brother role... I can't bring myself to cover your back on this lie. What you did, whatever your motives, was wrong, and I simply can't defend it."

Slowly, her face begins to crease into a frown. "What are you saying?" she asks, dropping my hand like it's a hot coal.

I sigh. "I'm saying you need to tell Link and the others the truth."

"No I don't!" she laughs, though it almost sounds like a plea. "Link doesn't have to know the truth. We're leaving here tomorrow, and it's not like we'll see him until we come back to Kakariko. If I tell him... he might not want anything to do with me next time we visit."

"Link already knows that you lied to him!" I exclaim.

"What?" she spits, jumping to her feet. "How?"

"Because I told him!" I say bluntly.

She hesitates for a second, cocking her head in disbelief. "Why in Hyrule would you do that?"

"Because he deserves better," I reply, standing myself up so that I'm back to being head and shoulders taller than Zelda.

She narrows her eyes a little. "So you're saying honesty is the best policy?"

"Always," I say, crossing my arms.

"And... if I just withhold the truth from Link... that would be wrong, right?" she asks, stepping closer.

"Yes..." I say quietly, trying to deduce exactly what she's up to.

She begins to slowly shake her head as her lips curl back in disgust. "Oh you are such a hypocrite," she hisses, turning away from me and storming back over to the box of healing crystals. Confusion clouds in my mind as I watch her throw herself down on the ground beside the box. She starts to sort the crystals again, though she's being much less gentle this time than she was before. I watch her in silence, faltering, trying to understand her point.

"Excuse me?" I exclaim.

"You heard me: you're a hypocrite," she says defiantly.

I take a couple of steps closer to her. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh... I'm sorry," she says, mockingly. "Do big words confuse you? H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E: hypocrite. It means someone who claims to hold a standard or belief, but then breaks that in their own behaviour."

"I know what-" I begin.

She pointedly clears her throat. "Sample sentence: Sheik was a hypocrite when he told Zelda she couldn't lie to her friend, then failed to tell Zelda the truth about his girlfriend."

My heart slows as her sharp words settle over me. I know I don't have the highly attuned pointed Hylian ears, but I sure as hell heard that well enough. My mind begins whirring as I stare at her in silence, unable to come up with a response. My fingers, numbing at the tips, are desperately raking through my hair as I try my best to figure this out. Silent voices are screaming thoughts and theories in the back of my mind, but one sticks out above the rest. How does she even know? I try to vocalise my messy thoughts, but it's like my tongue has turned to dust in my mouth. My lips won't work; my voice box won't produce even a sound. Instead, I'm left shaking in my own skin as I watch Zelda carefully close the box and put it into one of Impa's bags.

"Don't look at me like that," she says quietly. "Don't play all innocent. You've been seeing Midna and not telling anyone, haven't you?" She shoots me an accusative look that makes all my shields just drop around my feet.

"I wanted to tell you..." I say. "So did Midna. But if her parents caught wind of what was happening between us... I don't even want to think about what would have happened to her."

"It hurt, Sheik," she says, her voice cracking slightly. "When I saw the two of you together on the night of the festival... I realised that you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth... neither of you did."

"Zelda," I whisper, feeling the guilt wash over me. "That's not the reason why..."

"Then why?" she asks, wheeling around to face me.

I close my eyes and resist the urge burst into tears right here. "We didn't tell anyone, and I mean anyone. It was nothing against you, definitely nothing personal... the risks were too high to let anyone know what was going on between us. Just think of everything Midna would have had to endure if word about this got out."

She sits herself down on top of the wooden box, and says "if it was so risky, then why did you even get into the relationship in the first place?"

I make my way over to her and settle next to her. "Sometimes... you just can't fight the inevitable."

We're both silent for a moment, just sat staring at the wall off the tepee. The rain is showing no sign of holding off, in fact, thunder begins rumbling through the damp air. I hold my breath, counting in my head. I don't get higher than five before the flash of lightning glares through the canvas, silhouetting the wooden skeleton of the structure. Zelda sighs, burying her head in her hands and leaning in to me. I give her a soft smile and wrap both arms around her. She's never been a fan of thunder storms... but they always follow hot weather.

* * *

It's late at night by the time that the thunder storm calms down a little bit. It's still raining heavily, pellets of water lashing against the canvas of the tepee. It sounds a little like a small child attempting to play the bongo drums – messy, uncoordinated, and far from a rhythm. Yet, it's somehow soothing and calming, like the raindrops wash over everything and make it clean and fresh again. There's nothing nicer than the quiet, calm lull of the morning after a rainstorm.

And yet, here I am, lying in the dark of the tepee. Long shadows stretch across mum and Zelda's figures, hunched up in their bedding rolls under blankets. Zelda's long blonde hair is cascading over her pillow in a mess or curls and knots... I'm guessing she's been tossing and turning all night. I, on the other hand, have barely been able to sleep a wink. I can't get Zelda's words from earlier today out of my mine, and it just won't let me rest.

_"My parents were screw ups, Sheik," she spat. "What if Link and the others thought I'd end up like them?"_

I've never met Zelda's real parents, but I know what they're like. She's told me before about who they were and everything they did. I know the truth about the intricacy of their clever yet malicious schemes and plans. She told me how they played people like monopoly, gambled away her childhood just to rake in a bigger sum of money. Once, just once, she let me take a look at the newspaper that detailed the day they were arrested. Up until then, I'd never realised just how serious the things they did were.

Her father was well credited, seen as the very example of powerful business man. Not many people knew how he worked underneath his image and credibility. He found a way to blackmail, bargain, and even threaten his way to raking in hundreds of thousands of rupees. He, like a spider, created an intricate web of contract rulings and underhand tactics that welcomed people to wander absent mindedly in, then took them for everything that they had. On occasion, he even used Zelda, as an innocent child, to will people to do his bidding - A perfectly cunning, crafty, con man.

Her mother, on the other hand, was much less subtle with her tactics. She worked with technology, spending days and nights tapping away at her keyboard and hacking into peoples bank accounts – taking everything that they had. She went by a number of aliases, so she could scam people and use their credit cards, access their savings accounts, jeopardise their pensions, and keep every single rupee. She created countless websites, designed to prey on those who didn't know any better. She could scam them into laying down ridiculous sums of money to pay for antivirus software that actually introduced bugs that could take their bank account details in seconds. She was truly a technological genius, but she used it for the wrong reasons.

And Zelda, as just a child was subjected to this crime from the very day she was born. Part of the reason her parents even wanted a child was to create a family friend image to help her father con the rich men. She was dragged around from pillar to post, moving from place to place as a child so that by her parents were never convicted of anything. She moved between Hyrule, Koholint Island, Termina, Holodrum, Subrosia, and Labrynna many many times to avoid her parents ever having to face justice for their crimes. Of course... they couldn't hide forever.

And now, as I watch her soundly sleeping, I can't help but mull things over. I understand her concern and shame – her parents did an awful lot of bad things in their time, and she was dragged unwillingly into a lot of it. But that doesn't mean that she's going to end up like her parents. I know her better than anyone else right now, and I know that she's not that person. I know, without even a shadow of a doubt, that Zelda is better than that.

But to prove it to herself... she needs to tell Link the truth.


	13. And then there's Zelda

**I'm sorry I'm two days late! A total lack of drive and some recent events made writing this chapter very difficult… but it's here now, and there's a big plot twist at the end so I hope that makes up for it!**

**But I was looking back at some of my old stories today, and I realised that I published my first Zelda fanfiction one year and four days ago! I've been writing Zelda fanfiction for a year now! :D Thanks to everyone who's stuck by me, for all or part of that time, even if this is the first story you've read! You've been more amazing than I even thought was possible, and I can't thank you enough!**

**But let me start by saying that love and hugs go out to the beautiful people who reviewed the last chapter. That's ShadowNinja1011, ButterflyBabyBlue, PrincesscharmingKnight, MasterShortPantsx3, zeldalover272, sslamajama97, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, Naomi Fudo, burningbook, Ghostkiller905, Franne, Zelink moments, Queen Ambi, Ralph (by the way, I love how you two reviewed in character!), Joyma, CreCra, DarkTayl, Link's 2****nd**** wife, Neeze, and Squeeb100!**

**Just another quick note: One guest reviewers said that I should write a Zelink story where they're in high school! I've written one called City Boy which had quite a lot of scenes in their high school, and one called Opposites Attract set in a boarding school! (Though I'm actually considering re-writing that sometime… thoughts?)**

**Wow… long authors note, huh? Anyway, enough jibber jabber, thanks if you actually bothered to read all that, and onto the chapter!**

**Thanks to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Thirteen - And then there's Zelda...**

* * *

Drip by drip, drop by drop, rain scatters down my windowpane like a very mild and meek waterfall. There's a slight pitter patter noise with each droplet that hits the glass, but that's the extent of excitement. I've always hated rain, it seems so confining to me. People relate rain to as a bad omen – like if you start to make big plans and rain begins to fall, it's supposed to be a sign that your plans will fall through. I've never been one who believes in superstitious stuff like that, but you can see why people take a disliking to rain.

My disposition to the plain evaporation and condensation of water has always been that it acts like a barricade. When I was a kid, I was never allowed to play outside in the rain. Before I learnt to drive, walking home from school in the rain seemed like a chore to a thirteen year old boy. I was never like other kids, who used to love running around in wellie boots and waterproof coats jumping in puddles and kicking up dirty water. To me – rain was always just cold, wet, and thoroughly miserable.

And yet, some people seem to love it. To an actor, a writer or a painter, rain can always add a certain dramatic air to a scene or picture. To a farmer, rain – in the right quantities – is a blessing as it nourishes the crops without the farmer having to get out dowsing machinery. Some people find a romantic angle in a storm, be it kissing in the rain, or just the clean sense it brings or that fresh smell the morning after.

But not me, rain and I just don't get along. Even now, I'm sat here on the window sill hugging my knees, just waiting for the rain to hold back a bit so I can go out with Dark and Saria without getting soaked through to my bones. It's about four o'clock in the afternoon. I've been home from school for about half an hour now. And in that time, I've dumped my bag, changed out of my uniform, eaten half a cheese sandwich and spent the rest of the time sat here waiting… and now I'm getting bored.

I resign from staring at the depressing scene of my back garden in the rain and whip out my mobile phone. It takes me a matter of seconds to punch in Dark's number, which I have memorised as he hasn't changed it since he was 11, and hold the phone up to my ear. I count the monotone bleeps in my head as I wait for him to answer. The phone rings six times before he eventually picks up.

"Greetings Earthlings!" he says cheerily.

"Dark!" I reply. "Look, it's pouring with rain... is there any chance instead of going out, you and Saria want to come here? We can play some games or watch a movie or-"

There's a strange, crackly sucking noise on the other end of the line that causes me to pause and frown.

"What the hell was that?"

"Sorry man…" he breathes. "Saria and I have got tickets to go see The Internship…"

"Oh…" I reply, trying not to sound to put off. "Ok."

"I mean… you can come with us if you want!" he says reluctantly.

I sigh. "No, I wouldn't want to ruin date night. You guys have fun." And with that I cut off the call before he has a chance to say anything else.

That's it; just like that he broke the first rule of friendship. Never ever blow off your friends to hang out with your girlfriend. But he did… we'd arranged to hang out as the three of us tonight, but he decided he'd rather spend the day with a girl he's known for a couple of months than his best friend for eleven years. I stare at the screen of the phone in silence for a moment, just blankly watching Dark's contact page.

"Link!" comes a shout from downstairs, cutting off my thought pattern.

I sigh, pocketing the phone and heading towards the door. "Coming…"

The old wooden floorboards in the landing creak beneath the weight of my feet. My socks get pinched in the small gaps between boards as they rise and sink independently. Dad's always said he was going to get this floor seen to, but he never bothered. Eventually, I reach the top of the staircase and cast my gaze downwards. Dad stands at the foot of the stairs, shoving on his suit jacket and picking up his wallet and car keys.

"Are you off somewhere?" I ask.

"Yup," he replies, not bothering to turn and face me. "Work just got a call from a client over in Termina that wants our help dealing with contract breakers. It's a big firm, and the boss reckons that I'll have the inside edge on the case. So I'm getting over there as quickly as I can."

"Oh… really?" I ask. "How long will you be gone for?"

"They've booked me into a business hotel near the company's headquarters. It's only for one night Link, you'll be fine on your own, won't you?"

"Of course…" I mumble.

Dad pockets his car keys, turning to look at me. "If you're worried about being on your own you can have Dark round."

"No," I sigh. "He's got plans." Great, no Dad, no friends.

Dad shrugs. "I wouldn't worry, you're sixteen, you're big enough to look after yourself. We don't have much by way of food in the house, but you can phone for a pizza or something," he says, leaving a red rupee on the hall dresser. "I'll be back by this time tomorrow."

And with that, he picks up his overnight bag from where it lies at the foot of the stairs, and strolls out of the front door. Nothing, not even a 'goodbye.' I sigh, glancing down at my feet in their off-white socks. Well, if Dad's gone and Dark's got better things to do… I know one place I can go.

* * *

From the moment I set foot in the traveller camp, I know that something's up. It's almost deserted, stripped down to just a few tents, tepees, and one lowly campervan parked to the right hand side of the field. Rain patters down, creating little soggy pools of soft squishy earth that squelch beneath my feet. The string of fairy lights has been pulled down from the poles around camp, and there's no more kids running around barefoot or elderly hippies smoking something not entirely legal. It's beginning to look more and more like another plain old park…

And then, from across the almost abandoned camp, I hear the sound of enraged voices. I can't make out a word that the speaker is saying, partly because I'm so far away and partly because I'm not used to the accent enough to be able to properly decipher it. Despite this fact, it's dramatic enough to send goose bumps up my arm and a shiver along my spine. I can't deny the fact that whatever's going on is bad, very bad. I take a deep breath, huddling down further in my raincoat.

Slowly, one numb foot in front of the other, I begin to make my way over towards Sheik and Zelda's tepee. It's the only one left on the right hand side of the field, standing solitary among the grass that's long overdue a cut. The closer and closer I get towards the doors of the tepee, the louder and louder the shouting gets. I can't help but notice how there's only one person yelling… which means it can't really be an argument.

I pause outside the door for a few moments, just listening. The voice that's shouting is deep, male… but I don't think it's Sheik. In fact, I don't even recognise the voice. I falter and hesitate for a few moments, unsure as to whether or not I should intrude on something like this. Maybe Sheik and Zelda are nothing to do with all the shouting that's going on in here? What if I'm butting in on something that's absolutely none of my business?

After a good few moments of dithering, indecisive silence, I finally decide to just take the plunge. I reach out one shaking hand, my palms clammy, and rip open the tepee door before I have a chance to second guess myself.

Once the door is open, I'm hit with a wash of warm, slightly stale air. It's the kind that comes from excitement being contained in an enclosed area. As I glance around the room, four sets of eyes turn to look at me. Impa's cool amber gaze, Sheik's red eyes, Zelda's nervous indigo iris', and finally Midna's blood red glance. Even just by looking at the layout of the room, I can tell who's been doing the shouting and make a vague guess at what's happened here.

Zelda and Impa stand along the back wall of the tepee. Zelda is nervously chewing on her fingernails, and Impa just stands with one bony hand on her hip, eyes narrowed slightly and she assesses the situation. Midna stands just off-centre, clutching her hands together in front of her. She stares down at the ground, though I don't thinks she's ashamed or upset. Her clenched jaw and tense shoulder blades tell me that she's pretty annoyed. Stood just a few feet behind her is Sheik, though I struggle to figure out exactly how he's feeling. His face is almost a blank mask, though his hands aren't in his pockets like usual, showing that he isn't comfortable in this situation.

Stood just two steps in front of Midna, is a tall, looming presence. The man is head and shoulders taller than I, and I think he's probably taller than Sheik and Impa too. His skin is the same steely blue as Midna's, and his eyes are the same shade too. He's tall in stature, but not particularly distinguishable besides that. He's not muscular, nor skinny, and he has the same dark lips that Midna does. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I'm guessing that he's Midna's father.

The thin fabric of his loose fitting black trousers sways around his ankles as he turns. As soon as his gaze falls on me, his lips begin to curl in disgust and distain.

"Who's this?" he asks, an accent thick on his tongue, though I don't recognise where it's from. "Another Hylian, Midna?"

"He's no one," Midna spits hurriedly. I feel a prick of annoyance, but decide to bite my tongue. Now isn't the time to be kicking up a fuss.

Her father shoots me a foul look, before turning back to his daughter. "I just don't understand how this could happen Midna. We raised you right, you know better than this?"

"Dad… there's nothing wrong with Sheik!" she protests. That's when the sudden realisation of what's going on here dawns on me.

"If I may interject here…" Sheik says softly, but he's met with a murderous look from Midna's father.

"Don't you think you've done enough?" he spits.

"Dad… Dad…" Midna says, stepping between the two of them. "Don't you think you're being a little unfair? Those old rules about Sheikahs and Hylians… they're ancient! They were written in the times of the Usurper King… back when he turned the Twili against the Hylians, the Sheikah, the Gorons and Zora! We're no longer working against each other… can't you just accept the fact that times have changed! Most Twili's don't even bother with the old rules anymore!"

"HOW DARE YOU TALK BACK TO ME!" he roars, no longer making any attempt to contain or control his anger. Spittle flies from his lips as he talks, and taught limbs gesticulate wildly. "You have brought shame onto this family, Midna! Do you know how much trouble you've put us through by cavorting with these people? There are already rumours about you Midna, you should hear the way people talk about you. Your brother has been subjected to heckling time and time again because people think you gave your purity to this… this…" he dwindles for a few moments, struggling to find the right noun. "This… abomination!"

"That's my boyfriend!" Midna yells, suddenly confident. "And we're not sleeping together, just seeing each other."

"DO NOT TALK BACK TO ME!" her father repeats, stepping closer. "I have had enough of your attitude. I will not tolerate your callous disregard for the traditions of your people. I will no longer allow you to spit on our heritage. You're sixteen years old Midna, and that means for the next two years, you will be living with us. Once you're eighteen, you do whatever sinful acts you please. But for now, you're my daughter, you will abide by my rules and you will not bring scandal and shame to disrupt our family!"

There's a glimmer of defiance in Midna's eyes as she stands a little taller. "You can't stop me from seeing these people. They're my friends."

"Don't you understand, Midna?" he hisses. "You've lost your faith, forgotten your heritage. I'm taking you back to your roots."

Midna stares at him in silence for a few moments, though I can hear her clockwork mind ticking. "You don't mean-"

"We're going back to the Twilight," he confirms. "Maybe there you'll learn to respect your culture."

I swallow the heavy lump in my throat as I suddenly realise what this means. The Twilight is another country entirely… far from Hyrule. It's the place where the Twili first settled when they came to live with us. They colonised the area, and after much expanse and growth, it became its own independent nation named after the realm they originated from. That's pretty much all I know about it… I've never visited it. But I can tell by the horrified look on Midna's face that it's the last place she wants to be.

"You can't make me go with you…" she whispers, but it sounds more like a plea than a statement.

"I can, and you're coming," her father insists, grabbing her by her pale skinny wrist. And just like that, he takes off, dragging her towards the doorway where I'm standing. One iron hand clamps down on my shoulder and forcefully shoves me aside as he pulls a struggling Midna through the doorway. I feel like I'm paralysed, too stunned to speak.

"Dad, would you at least let me say goodbye?!" Midna says, wriggling furiously.

But her father doesn't even acknowledge her talking. Within a matter of seconds, the two of them have vanished from the tepee altogether. My eyes dart over to my friends, who are all stood in stunned silence. Impa is no longer narrowing her eyes, but her gaze does appear slightly sullen. I suppose she liked having Midna around… Zelda is glancing desperately between Sheik and I, hoping one of us will give her a sign as to what she should do. But the truth is that I don't have a clue.

She quickly snaps out of her daze, springing into action. She takes off into a run, dashing towards the door of the tepee. Her tanned hand quickly rips back the canvas door and she rushes outside, her long blonde hair flapping in the wind. The shoulders of her pale blue shirt speckle a little in the rainy weather, though she doesn't pay much attention to it. She calls out to Midna, screaming her goodbyes, but her voice is captured by the wind and dragged in the opposite direction.

I turn my attention away from Zelda in the storm, and over to Sheik. He's still just stood in silence, not daring to utter a word. His jaw slacks a little, causing his front teeth to show through his slightly parted lips. His arms lie limp by his sides as his shoulders heave with every breath he takes. His body language doesn't tell me much other than just how surprised he is, but his red eyes tell a whole different story. There's a burning behind them, a flame of desperation burdened to go unspoken.

"Go after her," I whisper. But he doesn't move a muscle, causing a sense of pity to tug at the bottom of my gut. He really doesn't know how to process this. I falter for a few moments, unsure whether or not to go outside and comfort Midna or to try and comfort Sheik. Heavy breathe rattle through me as I glance desperately between the doorway and Sheik. How the hell am I supposed to know what to do?

As I turn back to Sheik, I start to reason with myself. He's not going to talk to me, he's too shocked to accept any of it right now. I don't think there's anything I can do just yet… so, with a horrible shard of guilt lodged in my throat, I make a break for the doorway. Outside, the rain lashes down like icy pellets onto my skin. I step out just in time to see the doors of a midnight blue campervan slam shut. A young Twili boy, presumably Midna's brother, dashes around to the door and clambers into the driver's seat. With a quick rev of the engine and a swift gear change, the car splashes across the soggy ground and over to the exit of the traveller camp. I'm too late.

Zelda turns to face me. Her cheeks are damp, though I don't think it's because of the rain. I give her a pitiful look, unsure of exactly what I can say to make this situation better. I'm terrible at trying to comfort people. Instead of saying anything, I just hold up my arms to offer her a hug. I watch as her face slowly contorts to that of a sobbing child, and she dashes forward, burying her face in the crook of my neck. I wrap my arms around her, feeling her shiver from the cold.

"She was my best friend…" she whispers.

"Is…" I reply. "She's not gone forever, I promise."

"It just doesn't feel right," she says, her breath hot against my damp skin. "I knew I wasn't going to see her for a while… but we always end up catching up somewhere…"

I frown for a moment, my muscles stiffening. "What do you mean you weren't going to see her for a while?"

Zelda's sobbing holds off for a moment as she glances up at me with glassy indigo eyes. "Link…" she says, her voice barely audible beneath the pounding rain. "We're moving on…"

And just like that I feel everything go numb. My heart beat slows to the point where I feel the low, hollow ache spreading through my rib cage. The sound of the lashing rain drowns out to nothing but a muffled empty rattle. It's like my whole mind is dropping into a horrifying lull, and it makes me feel everything. How my best friend thinks it's ok to replace me just because he's fallen for some girl, how my dad cares so little about me that he can't even tell when I'm upset, and how he'd happily leave me at a moment's notice if there's a little money involved. The injustice of everything seeps through me, how I feel like everywhere I look in my damn life, I don't matter. Dark, Saria, Dad… they would carry on fine if I wasn't here, I wouldn't leave a hole if I left.

And then there's Zelda…

_"I've heard lots about you too. In all honesty, she hasn't actually shut up about you since she woke up."_

_"I'm Sheik. Zelda's told me loads about you."_

_"By the way, Zelda still won't shut up about you."_

There's something on the tip of my tongue, something that causes my heart to race in my chest. I hesitate for a few moments, unsure as to whether or not I should say it out loud. But Zelda's big indigo eyes cause my heart to leap into my mouth.

"I want to come with you."


	14. So Long Kakariko

**Woo! Got this one out a day early :) Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be going on holiday for a week on Friday, so probably won't have enough time to write over the next week. I might be able to get the time to do a chapter, but I wouldn't put much stock in it.**

**Anyway, awesome reviewers deserve to be thanked! So lots of love goes out to TheMysteriousDude, The Supreme, PrincesscharmingKnight, MasterShortPantsx3, Hanyoualchemist1, 8Black-star8, sslamajama97, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, zeldalover272, burning book, Joyma, ButterflyBabyBlue, Franne, CreCra, Neez, DarkTayl, Zelink moments, Naomi Fudo, ShadowNinja1011, Bleachshowlover1, and Link's 2nd wife!**

**As always, thanks to the lovey Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Fourteen - So Long Kakariko**

* * *

This is by far the craziest thing I've ever done. In all my life, I don't think I've ever been so spontaneous or unpredictable. Up until now, the wildest thing that I'd ever done was when Dark and I played a prank on his dad by putting cling film over the toilet seat. I know, crazy childhood, right? In fact, now that I think about it… I never actually did anything even close to crazy. I was a perfectly predictable little angel while the rest of the kids had fun.

Truth be told, I think I was the one that other kids did crazy things to. Middle school, for me, was the worst time of my life because I acted like a doormat to the rest of the student body. Most of my lunchtimes were spent hiding out in the library because I knew that if I went outside, I'd end up thrown into a dumpster or shut in a locker. The pinnacle point for me, I think, was when Vaati Minish found a way to stuff me into the canteen's automatic dish washer. You were supposed to put your dirty dishes on the conveyer belt and they got washed by jets. Instead, Vaati thought it would be fun to duct tape my arms to my sides and stuff me into the goddess forsaken contraption. Believe me, you never want to see what goes on inside the automatic dish washer.

So maybe Dad and Ghirahim and Dark were right when they called me a goody goody, but all that is about to change goodnight. It's time I started standing up for myself and doing things that I actually want to do. I'm done letting people walk all over me; I'm done knuckling under my dad's ridiculous views; I'm done letting Dark get away with being such a lazy friend. Tonight, all of this ends. I'm packing up my stuff, saying my goodbyes and taking off. So long, Kakariko.

I throw open my bedroom door, shedding a thin column of light into the dark room. My hands, trembling with excitement, fumble along the wall in search of the light switch. Eventually the pads of my fingers manage to find what I was searching for and light floods through the room. I blink a couple of times, trying to adjust to the sudden change as I drop to my knees and begin searching below my bed for my large suitcase.

I'm not exactly in a hurry, per say, but I don't want to Keep Zelda, Sheik and Impa waiting too long while I pack up all my stuff. They've already been delayed while I discussed everything with Impa. She said she's perfectly happy to take me with her, but she has to be absolutely sure that it's what I want to do. And she's right to say that, but there's nothing to be concerned about. Right now, I know with absolute certainty, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is what I want.

I've already written a note for my dad to find when he comes home tomorrow, and now I'm all set to pack up my stuff. As quickly as I can, I drag my suitcase out from under the bed and haul it up on top. It only takes me a few moments to zip it open and them I'm ready to start packing. I've never been much good at packing myself. My method has always kind of been to just throw stuff in and squash it down as tight as I can, which is exactly what I'm doing here. I chuck in a handful of tops from my drawer, my underwear, and a couple of pairs of jeans and shorts. In go my trainers, my raincoat, a disposable camera and an empty notebook that I plan to fill with pictures while on my travels.

Once all of that is stuffed into the case, I make my first attempt at squashing it down. I push it all down with my hands until it all compresses to about half of its size, to which I smile. With that, I take off out of the bedroom door and charge down the hallway towards the bathroom to collect my toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant. However, before I can reach the bathroom door, I hear a loud knocking sound coming from downstairs. I pause for a moment, frowning.

"Who's there?" I shout out.

"It's me!" comes Dark's voice from outside the house. "Our movie's finished so we thought we'd stop by."

I let out a disgruntled sigh, before slowly trudging down the staircase. I pull open the front door, and sure enough find Dark and Saria stood there waiting for me. Both of them are smiling thoughtlessly, despite the fact that the light now appears to be fading from the sky. I really need to hurry up…

"Sorry, I'm busy," I say as I attempt to close the door.

Dark jams his foot in the way, letting out a stifled 'hey!' as he does, but I don't have the time to worry about it. I turn heel to make my way back up the stair case, rushing off towards the bathroom and praying that they won't follow me. Unluckily, it doesn't seem like Farore is on my side tonight. I'm only halfway up the stairs when I hear the front door shut and two sets of footsteps following me. They're not going to let this go.

"Link, come on!" Dark pressures. "Are you still mad about me ditching you?"

I don't even bother to dignify that with a response. Instead, I focus on collecting up all my toiletries. As I turn to leave the bathroom again, I find the couple from hell standing, blocking the doorway.

"What are you doing?" Saria asks. "You're not… running away?"

I sigh. "Not exactly. Now if you'll excuse me…"

I push past them and head back over to my bedroom where I throw all my toiletries down into the suitcase. It's only a matter of seconds until they tail me again, standing at the entrance to my room. They both watch me with a strange confusion, not moving a muscle as I dash around, throwing in yet more clothes. I pack up old photographs, my favourite books and a wind up flash light. All the while, I don't offer Dark or Saria a single word of explanation.

"Ok…" Dark says carefully. "Is there something that you want to talk about Link?"

"No," I insist. "There is absolutely nothing I want to talk to you about."

There a couple more moments of silence as I flip the lid of the suitcase down. At first it won't zip up, so I decide to sit on the lid and try to zip it under my weight.

"So… what's with the suitcase?" Saria asks.

Finally, I sigh and decide to give in. "I've decided that I'm going to travel with Zelda, Sheik and Impa for a little while…"

I wait for a few moments in trepidations silence… but I'm met with no response. Slowly, nervously, I turn back to look at Dark and Saria. Both of them are staring at me in complete and utter silence, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't unnerving. Saria's soft blue eyes are wide in shock, and the way her jack slacks makes her look a little gormless. It's a strange contrast in comparison to her usual calm and collected state.

Dark on the other hand, has a very different reaction. Despite the fact that he's silent, his facial expression gives away exactly how he's feeling. His lips are thinned, pressed together to the point where I almost can't see them. The skin on his knuckles is paling from where he clenches his fists so tight. A single vein is throbbing heavily on his forehead as I feel his bright hot eyes burning through my skin. In all the years I've known him, I've never seen him like this.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he spits.

"Uhh… excuse me!" I retort. "Weren't you the one who lectured me on how much of a goody goody I am? Didn't you tell me that I should take a chance? Learn to 'wing it' once in a while?"

Dark laughs aloud. "Yeah! 'Wing it' as in go to a party every so often? Do something other than figure skating on the weekend? Not run away with the freaking circus!"

"Circus!" I yelp. "It's not a circus! They're just travellers! And I'm not running away, it's not like I'll be gone forever. I just need to get out of this place for a while…"

"Link," he says, taking me by the shoulders. "This is too crazy. You can't just skip town with a bunch of strangers!"

"They're not strangers!" I insist, ducking away from his grip. "They're my friends."

He cackles aloud. "Friends? You only met them a couple of weeks ago! How can they possibly be your friends?"

"WELL THEY'VE DONE A DAMN BETTER JOB OF IT THAN YOU'VE BEEN LATELY!" I snap.

He falls silent for a moment. His are squinted tight and his head cocked a little to the left in bemusement.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he says.

I snort irritably. "It means that they were there for me when you weren't! Congratu-freaking-lations Dark! You got yourself a girlfriend for five minutes and already you're blowing off your best friend for her. I never thought you'd actually stoop that low!"

"Oh, I see what this is really about," he says, a slide snide tone to his voice. "You've been jealous ever since I first told you about-"

"I AM NOT JEALOUS OF YOUR GIRLFRIEND!" I shout, marching closer to him.

"Oh no! Not now you've got that blonde traveller girl!" he quips. "Why can't you just admit that she's the real reason why you're leaving?"

"THIS IS NOT ABOUT HER!" I yell. "I can't believe I ever thought you'd understand where I'm coming from!"

"Oh I understand," he says, sarcasm rolling from between his lips. "You give it all that about how I'm a bad friend because I don't spend as much time with you now. Well grow up, Link! People change, that's just a part of life!"

"Not like-"

"SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" he snaps. "Maybe we're not as close as we used to be. But don't you think it's a little impulsive- heck, hypocritical- to suddenly decide to pack up your stuff and skip town? Don't you think it constitutes a bad friend to just go running off without so much as a goodbye?"

His last sentence stings, and it's enough to spark up a fire.

"If I'm such a bad friend then why are you still trying to persuade me to stay?" I reply.

"If I'm such a bad friend," he mimics, "Then why the hell are you still here?"

* * *

Zelda, Sheik and Impa are putting the last of their possessions into the pick-up truck as I arrive back at the campsite. The evening is beginning to flee the land, and it's dropping into night time. The only light that guides me is the glow of the moon as I try to pick a path across the long grass. In my arms I hold two bags, one rather large suitcase and a much smaller bag that contains my more personal belongings. As I approach the spot where they're parked, I can see that Sheik and Zelda are bickering with each other, though they're trying to keep their voices down so that Impa doesn't hear them. I prick my pointed ears, but it doesn't help me to overhear what they're saying.

As I draw nearer, I let out a cough to tell them that I'm here. Zelda quickly snaps her gaze away from Sheik and over to me. A thin smile spreads across her face as she sees me, though I can tell it's tinged with a hint of nervousness. Sheik gives me a tiny smile and stifled wave, but I know his heart's not really in it. My guess is that he's still cut up about what happened with Midna earlier. A guilty hand tugs at my gut as I watch him let out a heavy sigh.

As I join up with the duo, Sheik takes my bag from my hands. He hands my smaller bag to Zelda, who puts it into the foot well of the backseat. Sheik then carefully places the larger bag into the trailer. He expertly straps it into place with thick stretchy bands so that it won't fall out when we're driving. Once he's finished his job, he rests one hand on the rim of the truck and the other on his hip, turning to give me another hollow smile.

"You ready, Link?" he asks. His voice is a little hoarse, as though he's been crying.

I decide not to bring up his emotional state, as it's clear he doesn't want to talk about it. Instead, I offer him a determined grin and a "you bet!"

"I'm glad to hear it," he says, glancing back over to the front of the truck. "I'm just going to go over the route with Impa…"

He heads off to the passenger side of the car, and I go to climb into the back seat. Yet, before I can even reach the door, I feel a warm sensation from my arm. I turn, casting my gaze down to find a slender hand resting just above my elbow. It doesn't take even a second for me to realise who the hand belongs to. The skin looks rather pale in the moonlight, and it reminds me of that first time I spoke to her underneath a tall apple tree that stands just a few feet from us. Her figure was lit by the same moon that now bathes her skin in a ghostly white colour. Her colourless lips stretch, offering me yet another nervous smile.

"Link…" Zelda says quietly. "Before we go, I need to talk to you…"

"Of course," I reply without even thinking.

She curls her hand a little tighter around my arm and pulls me down until we're both sat by the back of the truck. The grass is a little damp beneath me from all the recent rain, and the tailpipe of the truck jabs awkwardly into my back but I don't bother to bring any of that up. There's an eerie sense of grave seriousness in Zelda's eyes as she allows her hand to slip from my elbow to my wrist. We sit in silence for endless moments, and I'm patently aware of how her warm fingers trace the lines of my palm.

After what seems like an eternity, her fingers fall still and she glances up to look at me. She mutters something, no more than two syllables but she says it so quietly that I don't hear. I frown, leaning a little closer as she lets out a small sigh and repeats herself.

"I lied…" she mutters.

I pause for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Eventually I stammer out "a… about what?"

"My parents… they didn't leave me in the care of Impa… she's not my real guardian and-"

"I know," I cut in.

She hesitates for a few seconds, breathing heavily. "What?"

"Yeah…" I say quietly. "In order to be a guardian, you have to have legal ownership or rental rights over property. No governing entity would have let a child be left in the care of a traveller." I glance over to her, taking in her bemused expression and letting out a faint laugh. "Yeah… my dad's a lawyer."

"Oh…" she mumbles. "Now I feel even more stupid…"

I shake my head softly, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her shivering body a little closer to mine. The skin of her forehead is icy cold as she rests it against the nape of my neck, snuggling deeper into my body heat.

"I'm so sorry I lied…" she whispers.

I feel like I'm in some kind of fight against myself. Part of me wants to be upset with her, I want to rant and rage and storm off into the night. But deeper inside of me I know that she must have had a good reason for what she did. Her body, beneath my arm, shudders as she softly cries into my shoulder, and it makes me wrap my other arm around her and squeeze her tighter to me. We stay like that for a few minutes, listening to the muffled conversation of Sheik and Impa.

"Can you at least tell me why?" I whisper into her delicate little ear.

She snuffles a little, before straightening herself up enough to look me in the eye. "They were criminals…" she whispers. "My father had this whole bit about being a reputable businessman, but he was really just a con artist. My mother used to hack peoples online bank accounts by setting up scams that tricked them into giving her their details. I know people believe this stereotype about how travellers are all just run away crooks. My parents were never travellers… but I am… and I thought if you knew about my parents, you'd think me a criminal too."

"I'd never think that about you," I say.

"But I used to be," she says, her voice wavering. "Pretty much the only reason I was born was to help my parents run their schemes. My father used to bring me along to his meetings as it made people trust him more. My mother even set up a website saying that I had cancer and that they couldn't afford the treatment. She took all these photos of me in the hospital. I'd only had my tonsils out but she made it look a lot worse. I was five at the time so people felt sorry for me and kept making donations. It was only as I got a bit older that I realised how cruel that scheme was. I'll never forgive her for that."

"So you were-"

"A pawn, basically," she gravels. "When I was little I thought it was great. My parents could buy me all the toys and clothes that I wanted. When I got a bit older I started to realise where all the money came from and… and I resented them for making me a part of it."

We just sit for a few moments, huddled together in the ever darkening night. She's stopped crying now, but she's still shaking, and I don't know if it's from cold or anger. Her muscles have become rigid, and it means she's much more tense under my arm now. Once the initial shock has passed, and I've let everything sink through my skin, I turn back to look at her.

"Where are they now, your parents?"

"In prison," she says softly, resting her cheek back against my collar bone. "When I was eight years old my father pushed it too far with a con involving race horses. The owner got suspicious and did some research… a week later the police turned up at the door and arrested him. He appealed and got a trial, but there was no chance he'd be found innocent. He was given twenty years and… he's still got twelve to go."

"What about your mum?" I ask.

"They took her in too," she replies. "While they came in to get Father, they raided the house for evidence. They went through the internet history and found all the schemes and hacks Mother had been pulling off. She was taken in too and given fifteen years and told she had to pay back money from all the schemes they knew of. I bet they didn't even find half of them…"

I mull it over for a moment, imagining an eight year old Zelda shivering in the corner, terrified of the heavy thumping on the locked door of her house. Then the splinter of broken wood, the thud of police boots on the staircase and the heavy clicks of guns. Clinking handcuffs… bellowed protests… clattering and slamming as police men searched through the house. Then the door being thrown open and an armed officer strolling in only to find this little girl huddled in the corner…

"Is that when you met Impa and Sheik?"

She shakes her head slowly. "No… they didn't come into the picture until a few months later. Custody dictated that I go and live with my aunt Cathy for a while, but I couldn't stand it. She never let me out of the house, always told me I was too skinny for my own good. She never even wanted to look after me in the first place, all she got from me was someone to do all the housework she was too lazy to do herself. I hated it there… felt like I was trapped. That's when the travellers came to town. They were so exotic and exciting and I was enticed. I kept sneaking out and night to go and visit Sheik and Impa. So, after a couple of weeks when they announced they were leaving, I couldn't bear to be alone, so I asked to go with them."

I frown. "And your aunt did nothing?"

"She tried a little," Zelda shrugs. "She informed the police I was missing and they told her they'd keep an eye out for me… but I was another runaway kid, not a special case. My aunt didn't really want me back and I didn't want to go back… so the search never really amounted to much. I've been with Sheik and Impa since. Sometimes I think back to how my aunt didn't care enough to follow me and I… well I wonder if I'd have been better off if I stayed."

"Wait…" I muse. "Are you trying to tell me I shouldn't come?"

"No! No!" she exclaims, suddenly sitting bolt upright. "I'm not saying that at all! I'm just saying… that… it's not easy, being a traveller. There's a lot that you have to learn to come to terms with… and I want you by my side, I really really do." She reaches out then, taking my hands in hers. "But you have to be absolutely certain that this is what you want. Once you've gone… there's no going back."

It takes me no more than a few seconds to think about it. A father who hardly notices my existence and an ex-best friend compared to an exotic and exciting life with three travellers. In my mind, there's no comparison.

"I'm definitely sure, one hundred percent certain!" I gush.

A bright, uncontrollable grin breaks out over her moonlit face as she squeals in excitement. She drops my hands, reaching up and wrapping her arms around my neck and squeezing me tight. I laugh happily and squeeze her right back. We stay locked in our happy, giggly, almost childish embrace for far longer than the norm, but I'm too full of glee to care right now. Rocking side to side with Zelda on the damp grass in the moonlight… I don't think I've ever experienced a better feeling.

She breaks away then, still beaming happily. The seriousness of our previous discussion all appears to melt away as she reaches up one slender hand and rests it on my jaw. She leans forward a little, her indigo eyes sparkling in the moonlight. There's a brief moment where she lingers, her face impossibly close to mine and I swear we're going to lock lips… but we don't. She leans a little to my right, planting a soft kiss on my cheek before pulling away and jumping up to her feet.

"Come on Link," she says, dashing round to the side door of the car.

And just from that moment, that one stupidly hopeful, beautifully perfect moment that I thought she was going to kiss me, the blinding realisation hits me in a way that her kiss just didn't. All along, all this time that arrogant, over confident bastard of an ex-best friend was right. He saw something, anticipated something that I just didn't, something that I denied time and time again. All those jokes, all these days, I was just too blind to see. Maybe not in full, maybe not entirely, but at least in part: This is about Zelda…


	15. The Hyrulian National History Museum

**Ok everyone, I've got a lot to say so be prepared for a long authors note!**

**First of all, I've got to apologise for leaving you all for a month without updating. It's been a ridiculously busy month for me. I was on holiday for a week, then I was doing a theatre program that took up the majority of my time. I then had some stuff that I needed to deal with that left me too emotionally exhausted to write, and that's not even mentioning the amount of time I spent panicking about my exam results that I get TOMORROW! Agggghhhh….. but to sum up, yes, I am sorry it's been so long I've just been hella busy.**

**Secondly I'd like to say that personally, I'm not too pleased with the quality of the chapter so I'm apologising in advance for that. I kind of had a mad guilt driven writing rush over the last week because I felt so bad for not updating… but I hope you'll bear with me!**

**The third part here is for the other writers out there! I don't know how many of you know about this, but I run a fanfiction based blog on tumblr! I've recently introduced some writing prompts for the zelda fandom, and I'd love it if some of my readers would join in and create some work based off of the prompts! You can find out more information at (w)(w)(w) . zelda fanfiction . tumblr . c o m (slash) prompts**

**The fourth thing to tell you all about is that I've set up a poll on my profile to find out how many of you want a rewrite of Opposites Attract! I'd be really helpful to me if you'd go and let me know what you think!**

**Aaaand fifth, I've got some reviewers to thank! So lots of gratitude crystals go out to burning book, MasterShortPantsx3, sslamajama97, zeldalover272, CreCra, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, DarkTayl, ShadowNinja1011, Bleachshowlover1, Neez, PrincesscharmingKnight, ButterflyBabyBlue, Joyma, Link's 2****nd**** wife, Zelink moments, Hanyoualchemist1, The Supreme, Naomi Fudo, Franne, Squeeb100, Fuzzybuni (you left loads so big thanks to you!), TheMysteriousDude, and TragicMagic599!**

**Six! Lots of love for my lovely beta reader Princess Zelda-figure skater!**

**And I think that concludes my longest ever authors note… I think it's time to get down to the actual story, no?**

**Nayru xx**

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**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Fifteen - The Hyrulian National History Museum**

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The Hyrulian National History Museum is one of the biggest, and probably most intimidating buildings I've ever set foot in. The floors are made of a solid marble that spans from wall to wall, gleaming in the bright light and causing a low clicking noise every time someone takes so much as a single step. The pointlessly tall walls are supported by pillars of strong stone, and lined with age-old oil paintings and limbless stone statues. Natural light pours in from the glass dome ceiling and floods the room with bright colours.

The location could almost be considered pleasant if it weren't for the ubiquitous security that patrols each walkway and stands menacingly at every door. Their steely glares, rigid muscles and clasped hands give the room an uneasy air. It makes me feel as if I'm constantly being watched… and I don't appreciate it. I somehow feel like I'm doing something wrong, even though I've done nothing more than enter the room.

Of course, my panic isn't helped by the fact that I'm running ridiculously late. When I woke up this morning, the events of last night were the last thing on my mind. I took my time in the shower and eating breakfast just like I normally do. It hadn't occurred to me that I wouldn't have a lift to school, and I hadn't even realised that today's the day of the school trip to the National History Museum. I was running on auto-pilot.

It was only as I stepped outside that I noticed Link's silver 1994 polo was missing. He's usually sat there waiting with an irritable expression on his face ready to remind me how late we're running. Yet this morning… he wasn't. It was only then that it hit me that he was gone. The events of the previous night came flooding back: the argument, the accusations, the storm out. His spiteful words are still lingering in the back of my mind even now.

So I had to make my own way into school. My family aren't the richest, and I'm the youngest sibling of three so I can't afford to have my own car. I'm allowed to use my mum's when she's not using it, but she's working today so I had to walk down to the bus stop and meet everyone at the Museum rather than taking the coach with the rest of my Ancient Histories class. Which brought me to my current predicament – arriving an hour and a half late with no clue whatsoever as to where I can find my class.

"Excuse me," I mumble, running up towards the entrance desk. "I'm supposed to be here on a school trip but I arrived a little late… Do you know where I can meet up with Kakariko high school?"

"I can't be certain if they're still there," the red headed receptionist replies. "But there were a group of students headed towards the exhibits on the Hero of the Skies. They were wearing the same uniform as you. Could that be who you were looking for?"

"Yes, thank you!" I gush.

She gives me a smile that's a little too thin, almost pitiful. "Take that stair case on the left all the way to the top and you should meet the group somewhere around there."

"Thanks again," I say. "I really appreciate your help."

And with that I take off at a brisk walk, not wanting to run for fear of breaking something priceless. A tall security guard with impossibly square shoulders shoots me an assertive glance. It only takes a flicker from his rusty coloured pupils to remind me that he's the one who holds the sovereign status in this situation. I offer him a small nod as I push up the stair case, breathing a sigh of relief as I pass him. What is it with security guards? Why the hell do they make me feel so intimidated when I know I've done nothing wrong?

I fumble my way up the poorly lit staircase. Considering how classy and well maintained the entrance hall was, I'm surprised by this the state of this stairwell. It's thin and slightly dirty, with dark green paint on the walls and creaky wooden steps. I suppose it must be because this section of the museum isn't open to the general public, only school tours and historians. From the top of the stairwell, I can make out the droning voice of a museum tour guide telling someone about the Hero of the Skies. It's nothing I haven't heard before.

Eventually, I reach the top of the dingy stairwell and open a wooden door that leads into a rather large room. Thick wooden display cabinets with protective panes of glass line the room. Each artefact is lined up somewhere on these cabinets, with a spotlight to illuminate it and a small plaque describing the artefact. From here I can make out various pieces of weaponry, shields, and other tools like a hookshot and a small mechanical beetle. There's even a mannequin that's dressed in the garb of the Hero of the Skies.

In the centre of the room is a large glass display case that most of my classmates have gathered around. They're all glancing eagerly at whatever is on display there, clearly ignoring the short bespectacled man that's trying to educate them. The group is so tightly packed around the artefact that I can't even see what everyone is so interested in. I silently sneak up to the back of the group, hoping to tag on without anyone noticing that I've only just arrived. Unfortunately for me though, Ghirahim nudges me in the ribs with one jagged elbow, giving me a smug smirk.

"Nice time keeping, Dark," he whispers, not taking his eyes off the glass case.

"Oh shove off," I spit. I'm not in the mood to put up with Ghirahim today.

"Alright princess," he hisses. "Don't lose your tiara. Where's precious today then?"

I frown, snapping my gaze of to him. "Precious?"

"Your friend Link," he whispers in reply.

I stifle a laugh. "You think Link's precious?"

"No," he scoffs, rolling his eyes. "He acts precious, can't take a joke."

"Whatever," I scowl. "It makes you sound like Gollum."

"Lord of the Rings, Dark, really?" he quips.

I decide to ignore his last comment, choosing instead to stare straight ahead as the crowds part. Students begin milling off, wandering in different directions to examine the various artefacts on display here. I'm keen to know what they were all so interested in before, what possibly could have been so compelling that it could hold the attention of a group of teenagers for more than thirty seconds. In my mind, that's an impressive feat.

The huddled group eventually thins to just two of the class' keenest kids who are often dubbed as the 'know-it-all brothers.' They're eagerly chattering away with the museum guide and taking scrawled notes on practically everything he's telling them. Ghirahim lets out a pointed yawn as he passes by them, trying to wind them up, but they're far too engaged in their conversation to so much as glance in his direction.

However, my attention is quickly stolen away from their conversation as I lay my eyes on the artefact inside the glass panel. It stands tall, proud, and almost majestic inside its glass prison. A silent power radiates from every inch of this priceless piece. The handle has been carefully sculpted, with a large golden gem set deep into its twilight haze. The blade is glimmering, almost glowing in the dim light with an impossibly sharp point. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that.

Images begin playing through my mind of a young boy, not much older than me. A boy who found that sword and who, with his own wisdom, transfigured the blade into the most powerful weapon our kingdom has ever known: The Master Sword. That sole warrior was courageous enough to raise his weapon against the Demon King – and he was the only one who was powerful enough to take him down.

"Impressive, huh?"

I turn slowly to see Ghirahim stood beside me with his pale arms crossed over his chest. There's a gleam of something in his eyes, though it's not his usual maliciousness. If I didn't know him better, I'd say that Ghirahim is a little scared…

"Yeah, it is…" I mutter, turning my attention back to where the sword stands in its glass chamber.

"You're not afraid?" he asks.

I frown. "Why would I be?"

He lets out a heavy sigh as he squints his onyx pupils. "Well, this is said to be the blade that repels all evil. Back in the time of its forgery, shadows were underlings to evil forces. Therefore, it would repel shadows. I know it sets me a little on edge…"

"Why you?" I ask. "You're not a shadow."

"My ancestors served the Demon King," he mutters darkly, his eyes not leaving the weapon.

"What?" I splutter, choking on nothing as I turn to shoot him a weary look.

The smallest hint of a laugh shakes his shoulders, though his expression is very nonchalant. "An ancestor on my mother's side was the Demon Lord. I don't know how many generations are between us, or even how closely related we are. But yeah, it's in my blood…"

"Oh," I mutter, unable to think of anything clever to say in response.

"I thought as much," he says dryly before turning to face me. "You never answered my question. Where's Link today?"

His abrupt subject change has thrown me off my game a little, and it's only now that it's hits me that I haven't got anything to say in response. Am I supposed to cover up for Link and lie about it? I can't just take the easy route and tell everyone that he's off sick, he can't be sick for weeks, months… I don't know how long! He didn't say when he was coming back, didn't think it through. He just dashed off into the night and left me to sort out his mess.

I know I told him to be spontaneous, but what he did last night was taking it way too far. That wasn't winging it, or taking a chance, it was just being plain idiotic. To up and leave like that without a plan, without even telling his father, was the worst thing that Link has ever done. And then he had the nerve to tell me that I'm a bad friend because I'm spending more time with Saria? Meanwhile he was getting ready to go chasing some traveller girl all over Hyrule!

"Wow… something's got you steamed…" Ghirahim states, raising his thin eyebrows. His curious tone drags me out of my thoughts. It's only then that I realise my fists are clenched in rage.

"Oh… nothing…" I mumble. "Link's off sick." I know it's a half-hearted lie, but it should stall people for a couple of days until I think of something better, or Link's dad figures out that he's gone.

"Wow, you're a bad liar Dark…" Ghirahim smirks.

"I wasn't lying!" I insist.

"At least think of something believable! You and I both know that Link wouldn't take a day off if he were dying! That kid values his perfect attendance more than he values his health."

I hesitate, faltering for a few moments. There's an expectant edge to Ghirahim's glare that almost makes me want to spout out the truth. I know that Link and I don't get on with him very well, but there's some kind of silent, unspoken understanding between the three of us. We go way back to when we were just kids, and I know that Ghirahim was there on the night of the festival. That damn festival… I wish I'd never talked Link into going.

"Do you… remember the festival?" I stutter, rapidly losing my confidence as I stand in Ghirahim's shadow.

A flicker of knowing spreads across Ghirahim's face. "He's gone with the gypsy girl, hasn't he?"

"How do you know?" I ask, shocking even myself with the accusative tone of my voice.

"I just do!" he snaps, his gaze holding mine steadily for a few uncomfortable seconds before he whips around and starts to walk away. I'm not sure whether or not he wants me to follow, but I know that I'm going to.

"Yeah but… how?" I query.

Ghirahim is silent for a moment, but I can see his fingers curling tightly around the sleeves of his hoodie. The beds of his fingernails turn a paler shade as he clenches his fists tight and comes to a slow stop. I know that I shouldn't be prying, but I feel like I can't stop myself.

"You ditched him for your girlfriend, didn't you?" he hisses. "Link felt like you didn't care. The only person who's paid him any attention over the past few weeks is that traveller girl and her brother. Why else would he have left?"

"You don't know why Link left! You couldn't possibly-"

"Except I do!" he barks, whizzing around to look at me. His eyes are shadowed, glazed, almost as if he's a million miles away in his mind. "I may not be friends with Link, but that doesn't mean I don't know what happens in his life. I've been there, not with gypsies… but I know how it feels to think you're alone, to feel like there's no one you can talk to that will listen… like there's no reason for you to stay. There's something about the thought of just getting in the car and driving away, escaping from everything and starting over that seems like a viable option in that moment. Just to drive all night to find a reason to keep on living. And you just hope that there'll be something at your destination… something that'll remind you that someone cares."

He leaves the statement just hanging between us on a thread, unexplained. His lips move as if to form words but not even a whisper escapes his throat. I'm desperate to know more, screaming internally as I search for his unspoken words. In the last thirty seconds, I feel like I've seen a whole new side to Ghirahim, a side that I never even realised existed in the past ten years. It's almost as though this is the first time in my life that I can actually see Ghirahim as a real person. And it's a horrible feeling in that it creates a lingering bitterness on my tongue, a scathing regret at the way I treated him.

Without even realising what I'm doing, I reach out and take one of his hands comfortingly. "I'm so damn sorry…" I whisper.

It's only as I hear a soft titter beside me that I remember where we are, and how this must look. Blushing slightly, I quickly retract my hand and offer him a comforting pat on the shoulder instead. The glazed, lost look that filled his eyes has all but vanished now, replaced with his usual smirking mask. It doesn't take more than a couple of seconds for his prior emotions to melt away, leaving the empty shell that I've known for ten years.

"He's not gone forever," Ghirahim says, just loud enough that only I can hear. "I promise you that much."

"But what-"

Yet before I can finish, I'm forced into silence as the wooden doors of the exhibition room are thrown open and three figures stroll in. They stand out from the gaggle of high school students and teachers simply because of their overwhelming presence. The idle chit chat falls into a lull as the three figures come to a stop, surveying the room. Whispers ripple through the space in a scandalous manor and it makes my stomach jump backflips inside of me.

The woman at the front of the group is a tall Gerudo, with coffee coloured skin and impossibly long auburn hair swept back into a pony tail that runs down her spine. She's got broad shoulders and a rather muscular figure, certainly more muscular than any girl I know. But it's her expression that really catches my attention. Her toxic yellow eyes are narrowed in suspicion, with long sooty lashes that sweep down every time she blinks. Her lips, painted a slightly paler shade than the rest of her skin, are pursed in a matter that can only mean one thing: business.

She's dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans that disappear underneath her knee high black leather boots. Her plain white shirt is hidden on the most part beneath a leather jacket that clings to her prominent figure. The only other identifiable features on her person are the clunky, top of the range camera that hangs from a black strap around her neck, and a bright green folder that she clutches under her left arm.

Her laser-like gaze falls onto me, and a flicker of recognition resonates through her pupils. Everyone watches in silence as she leans behind her, whispering into the ear of one of the two formidable men stood behind her. Both are dressed in nothing but black, and are head and shoulders taller than everyone else – even the teachers – in this room. I can't make out exactly what she's saying to them, but as soon as she's finished they both begin to stride straight towards me.

She slips one of her perfectly manicured hands into the pocket of her leather jacket and produces a small black leather wallet. She flips it open and, without even turning to look at Professor Shad, flashes the contents at him.

"Officer Nabooru, private investigator for the Eldin police department. I need to borrow one of your students…"

Professor Shad nods nervously, hitching his glasses up his nose. "O-of course."

A hand clamps down on each of my shoulders as the two burly men establish their firm grip. Panic swells inside of me as they begin to lead me, rather forcefully, towards the door where Officer Nabooru stands with a twinkle in her eye. Have I done something? Has something happened to one of my family members? Could this be about Link? I can feel the eyes of everyone in the room trained on me as I'm brought to a standstill in front of Officer Nabooru.

"Relax kid," she drawls. "You're not in trouble. We've just got a few questions to ask you…"

And with that she steps around me, places one of her brawny hands between my shoulder blades and leads me through the doorway.


	16. The Gerudo Valley

**Ok, there's something I need to say to you guys. I know some of you are upset with the recent pace of updates. One rather agitated reviewer even compared my update schedule with her menstrual cycle... But I have to say that the more you rush me, the worse the quality of the chapters will be. If I feel pressured, my writing is never as good and I can't bear posting bad quality chapters. For example, I took my time with this one (it's been two and a half weeks) and I'm happier with the quality of it. Although the ending doesn't seem quite right to me... though I'm never satisfied. Anyway, I know this doesn't apply to everyone - some of you have the patience of a saint - but please just don't rush me guys, I'd really appreciate it!**

**Anyway, it's time to thank the reviewers! Much appreciation goes out to burning book, zeldalover272, SxDsX, TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, ShadowNinja1011, Squeeb100, PrincesscharmingKnight, staticblast1, ButterflyBabyBlue, MasterShortPantsx3, sslamajama97, TheMysteriousDude, Hanyoualchemist1, Zelink moments, Link's 2nd wife, Joyma, Franne, CreCra, DarkTayl, destinyschild02, Neez, and Naomi Fudo!**

**For those of you who wanted to know... I was really happy with my exam results! 4 A's and 5 B's! I'm studying at sixth form now!**

**Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!**

***No apologies for the fluffiness of Link in this chapter***

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF HYLIA**

**Chapter Sixteen - The Gerudo Valley**

* * *

We drive over the scorched earth in Impa's truck as we roll along the dusty path between the mountains and volcanoes of this arid region. The thin dirt track winds between the overlapping spurs and makes for rather difficult driving, though Sheik seems to manage without too much of a struggle. I watch the rocky slopes beside me, sparsely populated with the odd cactus and thin, gnarled tree.

The warm air runs over my skin as I rest my hand in the open car window. Little grains of sand or dirt roll momentarily over my arm before joining the cloud that softly blows through the deserted region. I don't really understand how there can be a village hidden between these mountains, but Zelda insisted that there is. I find myself wandering where they get all their water from, how they get food and if they're in any danger of volcanic eruptions.

We've spent three days driving to get to where we are now. We drove all around the shore lines of Lake Hylia, where Sheik and Zelda pointed out the places that they'd stayed. We travelled along a vast expanse of motorway, it almost seemed endless. It was like infinite miles of red taillights and unfamiliar exit signs that lead to places I've never even heard of. All the days merged into one while we drove night after day, day after night, taking turns at the wheel of the truck. Eventually we pulled off at a turning that appeared to go into the middle of nowhere. It was like something you see in a classic western film where the brave cowboys trundle along the dirt tracks on their trusty steeds.

The wind that forces its way through the open window ruffles my hair and tugs at the collar of my shirt. I softly close my eyes, just letting the sensation of complete freedom wash over me. I've never felt this way before, never felt so at peace with myself. My mind isn't preoccupied worrying about my homework or revision; I'm not angry at myself because I can't master a complex skating move; I'm not even frustrated about losing my best friend. Well… maybe a little…

A wave of guilt washes over me as I remind myself about Dark. The way we left things… it was so bitter, so harsh. I regret snapping at him like I did, but I know that I wasn't wrong in picking him up on what a bad friend he'd been. I was sick of waiting around for him, tired of having to share him with Saria. As resentful as those memories are, it's little hard for me to forget his last words before I stormed off.

_"Don't you think it constitutes a bad friend to just go running off without so much as a goodbye?"_

I know it was crazy for me just pack up my stuff and hit the road. I know that I should've handled the argument with Dark a little better, and I know that I was being too impulsive… but it's like he doesn't understand how much I need to do this. I just hope that in a few months when I decide to go home, he'll find it in himself to forgive me. I don't want to go back to that tiring life without my best friend by my side.

"Hey…" Zelda whispers from beside me. She reaches out one warm hand, carefully cupping it around mine as she offers me the smallest of smiles. "Are you ok?"

I nod slowly, pulling my other hand in from the window and resting it on my lap. "Yeah, I'm always ok," I say with a smile that I hope she'll buy.

"You were thinking about your friend and your dad, weren't you?" she asks, her indigo eyes sparkling in the fading light.

I softly look down to where her hand is resting on mine as I struggle to find the right words. "My dad… not so much," I sigh. "I don't think he'll be all that concerned. But Dark, yeah. I'm just worried he'll never forgive me for running off."

"It might take a little time, but he'll understand. I promise you, Link." She gives my hand a soft squeeze, and it's enough to remind me of that moment just a few nights ago. The warmth of her face just centre metres away from mine… the tingling sensation that spread over my skin as she kissed my cheek with her soft lips… that moment of pure happiness as she pulled away because I suddenly knew what she meant to me.

I softly twist my hand so that are palms are now touching as our fingers interlace. She gives my hand another comforting squeeze and it's enough for me to know that I'm not alone in this, not as long as I have her by my side. I gently squeeze back, and she gives me an adorable smile. Right now, with the sun just dropping below the mountains and Zelda's fingers intertwined with mine… I've never felt so infinite. I keep her hand clasped in mine as we pull into the foothills of the Gerudo Valley, trundling along the rocky earth. Impa's old truck wobbles dangerously left and right as Sheik negotiates the terrain, but even that can't faze me right now.

"We're here," Sheik says as he jolts the truck into park. "Welcome to the Gerudo Valley."

The Gerudo Valley isn't at all what I expected it to be. You hear tales about the Gerudo Valley and it really doesn't match what I'm seeing in front of my right now. Traditionally, the 'GV' as it's dubbed, is known to contain countless casinos, host bachelor parties and act as a gold mine to strippers and prostitutes. You hear the name and think of flashing lights, the clatter of dice and the jangle of coins when someone wins a jackpot… but never this…

The scene laid out before me feels millions of miles away from the central hub of the Gerudo Valley that I know is just a half hour drive from us. I clamber out of the truck and my feet set down on dusty earth that immediately pales my leather boots, almost parallel to the littered sidewalks of the city streets. There are no bustling groups of slightly drunk gamblers, couples hoping to elope or provocatively dressed women.

Instead, all I can see ahead of me is a tiny little village. Rusty, mismatched houses are all crammed into a small space. It looks a little like a child has tried to put together all the wrong puzzle pieces, and the result is just a collection of oddly sized buildings that have been crammed together in a small space. Even from here I can see brick, cement, wood, and rusted metal pushed together to create some kind of oddly enticing patchwork quilt.

"This is the real Gerudo Valley," Sheik says, sensing my confusion. "Everyone knows about the gamblers and the strippers but this is the original village, it's where the city name came from. Over time it's evolved into this massive enterprise built to take money from the weak and hopeful. Yet still, the real people of the Gerudo Valley remain here, and the best part is that most of them are just like us!"

"How do you mean?" I ask.

Sheik grins. "Look around you Link! Look at these people, they're just like you and I!"

I do as he says, trying to focus my attention not on the buildings, but rather the people instead. A tall and skinny Gerudo is sat down by the lake with two small children by her side. She appears to be fashioning something out of small twigs and string, some kind of miniature raft. Her rusty coloured hair has been pulled back into lots of individual plaits, almost like dreadlocks, and pinned back behind her head. Her arms are decorated with countless leather and string bracelets, but the most interesting thing about her is the rings wound around her neck. They look like they're solid gold, and they've stretched her neck out just a little so her head stands a fraction higher than the norm.

For fear of scaring her by staring, I turn my gaze away and try to pinpoint someone else. My wandering eyes find their way to a pair of young children, not much older than eight or nine. They're either Hylian or Sheikah, but judging by the way they move I'd say that latter is more likely. The boy, who's clad in fine red leather armour, launches himself up into the air before throwing a powerful kick towards the girl. She hurriedly back flips to get away from his attack, before drawing a small metallic shape from her pouch. It's only as she swiftly flicks her wrist and sends the object flying towards the boy that I realise it's some kind of throwing star. My stomach drops as a mixture of fear and shock set over me, but my reaction is pointless. The throwing star strikes the boy in the ribs before falling uselessly to the ground… I should have realised it was blunt.

"Relax Link," Impa says with a deep chuckle. "They're just training."

"Training?" I ask.

Sheik nods. "All Sheikah children are taught the art of defence as tradition. Back in the times of conflict, the Sheikah were the sworn protectors of the Hylian royal family, we had to know how to defend them."

I frown. "And you still learn?"

"It's just what we're used to I guess," he says with a shrug. "Besides, it never hurts to know to defend yourself."

* * *

The overwhelming mass of white cloth collapses in on me, and I feel almost like I've been thrown into an impossibly deep swimming pool. All I can see around me is endless white canvas inked with the different creatures of the goddess. From behind me, I can hear the clatter of wooden tepee poles knocking into each other before they fall to the ground with a heavy clunk. The canvas is pulled tight and I'm pushed down to my knees, buried beneath this confusing contraption.

Sheik and Zelda begin to giggle from the other side of the canvas as I struggle to find some semblance of escape.

"Oh well done Link, well done!" Sheik says sarcastically.

"Thanks..." I grunt.

"Don't feel bad," Zelda calls out. "This is your first time setting up a tepee, it's always a struggle at first!"

"Tepee virgin!" Sheik quips.

I let out a slightly irritable sigh. "Yeah yeah, just help me out of here will you?"

I hear Sheik and Zelda giggling between them as they begin to rummage through the canvas. The thick white material shifts as poles are lifted from the ground and it makes me feel a little less like a wrapped Christmas present. I'm able to get back onto my feet once the poles have been picked up. Still, a good thirty seconds of awkward shuffling and laughter passes whilst the two of them try to figure out how to get me out of my canvas cocoon.

Eventually, the canvas is ripped from on top of me, and Sheik's figure looms over me. He's struggling to hold back laughter as he grabs me by the arm and pulls me out from the mess. Zelda, however, doesn't offer me the same courtesy. She's openly giggling into the palms of her hands, almost doubled over with laughter as she takes in my appearance. I run my fingers through my hair, trying to tame it back into place before I press my hand against my cheek. Yup. It's hot enough to fry an egg on.

"Don't worry about it buddy," Sheik says. "It's not your fault, I think I let go of one of the strings."

"Yet I'm the one who got swaddled in tepee canvas," I say, poking him in the ribs. "Keep hold of the rope next time!"

"Don't you be bossing me around!" he exclaims. "You're the newbie here!"

That's when a soft, slightly shy cough rings out from behind us. We all turn, startled by the sudden interruption, only to find a very meek looking Twili boy stood behind us. He falls just shorter than us, and is shaking a little where he stands. He's nervously clutching something in his little pale hands, though I can't quite make out what it is. All I can see is that it's made of paper and has something scrawled onto the front in loopy slanted handwriting.

"M-my friend, sh-she told me to look for you..." he stammers.

"Your friend?" Zelda asks kindly, laying one comforting hand on his shoulder.

The boy jumps, as if suddenly remembering something. He hurriedly rummages through his pocket and produces a faded photograph which he then hands to Zelda.

"Th-this is you, r-right?" he asks.

I watch as Zelda's indigo eyes scan the picture, and a fond look of nostalgia settles over her features. "Oh Sheik look..." she whispers, stepping closer to him. She slips the photograph in front of him, but his reaction is different. Only the faintest hint of a smile tugs at the corner of his lips.

"Midna sent you?" he asks.

The little boy nods nervously. "S-so you're... Sh-sheik?"

"That's me," he says, sounding almost like he regrets it.

"Sh-she told me t-to give you this." He takes a hesitant step closer to Sheik and passes him the piece of paper in his hands. It's only as Sheik takes it that I realise the scrawled font on the front spells out his name. It's not even a piece of paper, it's actually an envelope. Something heavy slips about within it.

I watch as Sheik's eyes fall to the envelope. It's a strange look that washes over his facial features, almost reminiscent of that cold night is the violent thunderstorm. The way he looked when he knew Midna was gone... it's how he looks right now. Every detail is almost identical, the slacked jaw, the parted lips, the heavy breaths that shift his broad shoulders. Yet again, his rusty eyes are burning with so much more emotion that I even knew he had within him.

I don't know how long I stare at Sheik waiting for him to do something, but it must be a while because by the time I turn around, the Twili boy is gone. I shoot Zelda a nervous glance but she's too busy watching her friend to notice me. His hands are trembling but he won't open the letter, just stares at it in eerie silence. I shuffle uncomfortably where I stand, unsure of what I'm supposed to do next.

"Are you going to open it?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

He doesn't reply but his hands are shaking more and more violently as he fixates on this letter. I find myself wondering if he can even hear us or whether he's drowned us out.

"Sheik... Sheik!" Zelda says, urgency creeping into her voice.

Zelda's voice acts almost like a trigger. He moves so fast that I don't even register that he's gone until he's racing off along the dusty earth. He runs remarkably quickly, with the letter clutched to his chest and his head bowed. Clouds of dust are kicked up in his wake, but he doesn't even notice.

"Where's he going?" I whisper.

Zelda lets out a shaky breath. "I don't know... but I think he wants to be alone. He'll come to us when he's ready."

I turn to her, watching her as her eyes follow him. It's like my mind is trying to take a mental picture. The way strands of her hair have worked loose from her plait and fall over her soft face; the way that she stands with the toes of her feet pointing inwards; it's perfectly Zelda. I just want her hand wrapped around mine again, like that old Beatles song. I want to hold your hand...

"Link?" she asks, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Huh?" I mumble.

"The tepee, come on, it's getting dark!" she says, turning and grabbing the white canvas.

"Oh... right..." I say, shaking my head to rid myself of the selfish thoughts.

We work in content quiet for about a half hour, only uttering instructions to the other and sharing smiles in the fast fading light. Impa comes and helps us eventually, and once she's working with us we're finished in ten minutes and ready to head in the tepee and stoke a fire to keep us warm. While Impa was away, she collected firewood which we all pile up in the middle of the tepee. Zelda says we only ever light fires in the middle so smoke can plume right out of the hole in top.

So we sit and we talk and we stitch bracelets by the blazing fire. Zelda fills Impa in on what happened with Sheik, and she nods knowingly. I express my concern about Sheik not returning despite the fact that it's getting dark, but apparently this isn't the first time he's vanished for a night. He knows how to cope alone.

"Is that what you've been thinking so hard about?" Zelda asks once Impa's gone off to put the broken threads and beads in the waste bins.

"Huh?" I mumble as I clamber into my sleeping sack.

"Sheik," she says. "You've been somewhere else entirely since he left."

"Right," I reply. "Yeah, Sheik... among other things."

"Dark?" she guesses, propping herself up on her elbow where she lies in her sleeping sack.

"Sure, him too."

If only I had the courage to tell her the truth.

* * *

**Sidenote: Not many of you guys voted about whether or not you wanted a rewrite of Opposites Attract! As far as I'm aware, both guests and users can vote... so go to my profile now and let me know what you want!**


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